In Remembrance of Me
by Kalameet
Summary: "My name is Icarus. Only months ago I was confined in a deranged hospital that specialized in odd treatments. It was there that my memory was taken from me. I believe Celestia is responsible for my placement there, so I have set off on a journey to confront her and learn the truth. However, the longer my journey continues, the more questions I develop about what happened to me."
1. Chapter 1: Arrival

**A/N:** Dear reader,

The following paragraphs are designed to give you a little information about me and the origins behind this story. If you wish to skip straight to the story, you will not lose any vital information in doing so.

The derivation to the idea of this story came to me one day while I was taking a private walk. I was thinking about how subjective magic is in the land of Equestria, and, potentially, how easy it would be to seize power there. I've pictured myself in the eyes of Icarus (the story's protagonist) before, due to the fact that I am a bit twisted in the head. However, I have altered the story a bit to make it better.

I do plan on writing personal comments before and/or after each chapter to identify major points in the writing or thoughts I stumbled upon whilst developing the story. All reviews/criticisms will be read and taken into account as the story unfolds. Now, without further ado, I present to you, _In Remembrance of Me_.

* * *

Chapter 1: Arrival

Icarus scanned the horizon as he stood atop the mountain's precipice. It had been many months since he fled from the hospital. He could never remember how he had ended up there in the first place. His memory of the whole place was blurred. He could remember a meal here and a doctor there, but for the most part it was only scattered bits of useless information. His memory had been gradually recovering since the day he escaped. Not his long term memory, but he could still recount the journey he had gone through and why he was doing it.

Icarus' thoughts trailed off as he spotted the village off in the distance. He rubbed his eyes to make sure it wasn't a mirage. He looked again and saw the same tiny village. He let out a triumphant sigh. Icarus had come so far in such a short time; he couldn't help but feel proud of himself.

He leaped off the mountain peak and began to glide towards the ground. Icarus began to think of how he got here in the first place. He remembered the note that he got that day in the hospital. It was the only thing he could remember clearly. He had read it on a daily basis and kept it hidden from anyone who might come into contact with him. The note gave him his drive; he didn't want that taken away from him. He began to recite the note in his head.

"Icarus, there must come a time when you have to escape the prison you are kept in. You might think you are in the care of doctors, but they are jailors. You may assume that your room is comforting, but it is a cell. You are being held here intentionally, and I plan to help you discover the truth..."  
He shook the thoughts from his mind as he reached the ground. A nearby stream caught his attention and he realized how parched he was from the journey. He approached it for a rejuvenating drink.

Icarus peered at his reflection in the soothing stream. He was a charcoal grey pegasus that had sky blue eyes, but his tail and mane were jet black. He stretched out his wings to look at them in the warm sunlight. They were a lighter shade of grey than his body and they grew lighter and lighter in color until the tips of his wings were snow white.

After a couple minutes of rest, Icarus rose from the stream and continued on his journey toward the village. He wished he was strong enough to fly. It wasn't as much of a lack of good food, but simply an issue due to lack of experience. Icarus had never flown before for a great distance. Gliding was simple, but when he had to force himself to stay in the air, he lacked the physical ability.

He let out a deep breath. That was all about to change. He was going to follow the instructions from the note. That would help retrieve his memory before the days of the hospital. It would allow him to find out who was responsible for it. He could then exact revenge on them for doing this to him. The first step in his quest was almost at an end. He had finally made it to Ponyville and he sought a powerful individual who could help him.  
The sun touched the skyline out in the distance. Icarus continued onward.

"I must find Twilight," he whispered to himself.

* * *

Dawn was breaking when Icarus finally arrived at Ponyville. His exhaustion was drowned out by his excitement to finally have made it. However, he couldn't rest; Not yet.

Icarus knew that he needed to find out where _he_ was, and Twilight was the one who could tell him. She was quite renowned throughout the land. Icarus had heard many stories of her and her friends being brave in the face of adversary. It almost made him sympathize with their future fate he was to be guilty of.

When Icarus arrived at the house, he stood there for a moment. He was the only one outside at this early hour and he hoped to be gone by the time the town would begin to awaken. He looked at the door of the house, and on it read, "Twilight Sparkle." Icarus extended one of his hooves and knocked on the door. He stood there, readying himself.

Finally, the wooden door creaked open and there on the doorstep stood Twilight. She was still wearing her pajamas and a glazed look imprisoned her expression.

"Can I help you?" she mumbled.

Icarus looked Twilight straight in the eye. He summoned up his courage to ask the simple question.

"I seek the one known as Discord."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope the you guys are enjoying it so far. I would really appreciate any reviews you might have about it, so let me know! _~Kalameet_


	2. Chapter 2: Patience

**A/N:** This will most likely be the shortest chapter in the story. I apologize for making it so short, but the next chapter will be much longer and will involve more plot. It should be up by tomorrow. Also, in case you are confused, the first section of this chapter is a flashback to Icarus in the hospital. The second section goes back to the present time.

* * *

Chapter 2: Patience

Icarus felt the warm blanket over his body as he awoke. He let out a yawn and reached for the water next to his bed. He was still half-asleep, and he wouldn't have noticed that he had knocked over his cup if not for the splashing sound that he heard a moment later.

"Not again," he thought.

Icarus waited in silence for a couple of hours. He liked to look outside to help pass the time. What was out there? All he could remember about his life was from this hospital. If only he could go outside, even once, he would be satisfied.

The door to his room opened and a nurse entered the room. Icarus observed her quietly. She wasn't like the others. Other nurses entered his room three times a day, and that was only to deliver his meals. This nurse stood at the base of his bed and quietly looked at Icarus with a hint of grim amusement.

Without a word, she pulled out a note and gave it to him. As she was leaving the room, Icarus spoke up.

"Wait," he managed to say. "Who are you?"

She didn't even turn around. "You will remember soon enough," came the reply.

The door closed behind her and Icarus was alone again.

Icarus sighed. "She must not know what she is talking about," thought Icarus. "I'm not remembering anything anytime soon."

He turned his attention to the note she had given him. Perhaps this was important to what she said. Icarus opened the note and read it. Something clicked in his head as he finished reading. He also felt as if something inside him began to wake up and take control of his feelings and motivations. He knew what he had to do and this note was the key. He slipped it into his pillowcase and took a deep breath.

"Now I wait."

* * *

"Discord?" Twilight asked. "After we reformed him, Celestia took him back up to Canterlot and he is still there to my knowledge. Why do you need him?"

"I am a courier from afar, and I have an important message for him," lied Icarus.

Twilight yawned. "Well he should be in Canterlot. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, you have been most helpful," replied Icarus. "I should be going."

"Have a safe journey!" smiled Twilight as she receded back into her house. The door closed and Icarus was again standing alone outside.

Canterlot wasn't too far from Ponyville, not when compared to how far Icarus had traveled. He decided that a train would be the best method to get to Canterlot. He trotted down to the station and took a seat. He watched the sun as it rose out from behind some mountains, flooding the land with its warm rays.

"Now I wait"

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed it! I know it was short, but I made the next chapter longer to compensate. I would really appreciate any thoughts or reviews you might have on the story! _~Kalameet_


	3. Chapter 3: The Nudge

Chapter 3: The Nudge

The last of the hospital lights turned off. Icarus slipped out of bed and stumbled to the floor. He hadn't eaten in days. The note mentioned that the food the hospital had been feeding him altered his senses to keep him from being alert and thinking straight.

Icarus began to question if he would escape in such a feeble state, but he forced his thoughts forward and focused on the door. He crept up to it and prepared himself. He opened the door and peered out into the hall. It was empty, save for the patrolling guards. Icarus couldn't walk in front of them for fear of being spotted in in their flashlights.

He sneaked out of his room and silently closed the door behind him. The hallway was long, and Icarus was standing in the middle of it. At both ends of the hallway were branches to other corridors of the hospital.

Icarus saw the light from a guard's flashlight appear from the corridor to his right. He ran to his left as fast as his sluggish limbs would allow him in an effort to reach the other end of the hallway in time. He turned around and saw the guard turn into the hallway, so Icarus swiftly slid behind a nearby desk. The steps were getting closer with each passing second. Icarus felt like the sound of his beating heart would give him away. The guard walked right past him and turned left at the end of the hallway.

Icarus got out from under the desk and approached the end of the hall. He peered at the guard to his left, so he turned right in the corridor and stealthily paced down it.

After about a minute, Icarus saw a sign that indicated that the stairs were behind the next door to his left. He opened the door and tiptoed down the stairs.

As he turned the final corner to reach the ground level, a bright light shone into Icarus' eyes. He was face to face with a security guard. Icarus didn't hesitate. He grabbed the flashlight in the blink of an eye and bashed it onto the top of the guard's head. The guard crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Icarus was shaking. He tried to put the flashlight back into the guard's vest, but it fell out of his trembling grasp and made a resounding sound as it hit floor. Icarus snagged it off the ground and shoved it into the guard's vest as he heard a door open upstairs. He grabbed the guard and struggled towards the janitor closet at the bottom of the stairs. As the door closed behind him, he heard a guard speak up.

"Preston?" came the voice. A short pause issued. The guard spoke up again, this time he was directly in front of the closet. "Where did Preston go? He never leaves his post. Perhaps I should inform the captain of his absence."

Icarus heard the guard turn around and walk upstairs, the sound of his steps fading into oblivion. It was only then when Icarus took a breath. All he needed to do was make it to the front doors in the lobby and he would be free. However, time wasn't on his side. Soon the guards would be on high alert, and Icarus knew he would need to hurry if he was to escape safely.

* * *

The train came to a stop and Icarus stepped out onto the platform. A smooth breeze brushed Icarus' mane as he observed Canterlot. The streets were buzzing with activity. Strange sounds and smells filled the air. Amongst the rush of the city, Icarus stood there, searching for any indication of where he could find Discord.

He stepped onto the central road and began to walk down it. Icarus felt exposed. He hadn't been around this many ponies since, well, ever. As far back his memory would allow, he was only in contact with one or two ponies at a time. And soon he would be the center of attention for every being in Equestria.

Icarus stopped short of a small bridge and admired the sight before him. The magnificent castle ahead was home to the leaders of the land, Celestia and Luna. Ultimately, Icarus knew he would have to confront them in the end. The only nudge he needed was from Discord, and from there Icarus had his own plan.

A nearby hut caught his attention. It had been made of wood moments before, but now it had a stone casing to it. Icarus had only taken a step towards it when it flashed into a sky blue color. This wasn't natural, in fact, it was quite…

"Chaotic," whispered Icarus. He approached the hut as its colors and textures continued to change.

As he knocked on the door, the hut acquired a sudden stillness quality to it which made it appear normal. The door opened and Icarus stared with wonder at the individual in front of him. Discord stood tall and proud in front of him. A snug grin stretched across his face as he eyed Icarus.

"Why hello there my dear fellow," started Discord. "What brings you to my humble abode today?"

"I… I have a proposition for you," stuttered Icarus.

Discord chuckled. "Well isn't that splendid. Do come in. I prefer to talk about potentially important matters inside."

Icarus hesitated, but he followed Discord inside the small hut. He would prefer to talk in private somewhere outside. After his confinement at the hospital, Icarus hated being inside. It made him feel contained and incompetent. But he didn't dare oppose Discord. Icarus knew the next conversation he was about to have could be the starting point that he needed.

He looked around the hut, only, it wasn't a small hut anymore. In fact, he was in a large room that led to many other rooms in the building. The hut was many times larger on the inside than the outside, but considering it was the home of the master of chaos, Icarus wasn't taken aback too much.

Discord closed the door behind them. "You still haven't even told me your name yet."

"My name is Icarus. I have traveled far to find you and I believe I have an idea that can be quite beneficial to both you and me."

"What is this proposition you speak of?"

Icarus took a breath. Presentation was everything.

"How would you like to rule Equestria? You wouldn't be contained or controlled by others. You would have complete control over your power and could use it at will."

Discord chuckled again. "And you think I haven't thought of that before? Although the Elements of Harmony are no longer in possession of Twilight and the others, they still have the power that it provided them with originally. Besides, what do you have to offer me that could achieve this grand idea of yours?"

Icarus forced a determined smile onto his face. "This power you claim that these ponies possess is strong, but I know of a counter."

"There is no counter to friendship!" retorted Discord. "I tried to sever their friendship when I was first released, but it was to no avail." Discord sighed. "Again I ask, why do you think you're so special?"

"I have a plan to remove the issue of Twilight Sparkle and the others. You say their power derives from their friendship. What if you were to become a strong friend with a powerful ally to fight the opposing friendship? With the command of chaos, the power from your friend, and the power from the friendship itself, you would be unstoppable."

Discord raised an eyebrow. He stood in silence, pondering the suggestion. He started to pace back and forth. "And what power does a rogue individual like yourself boast of?"

"That is why I am here. I believe I have found a way to surpass the abilities of princess Celestia herself. The only issue I have is a starting point. If you lend a small portion of your chaos power to me, I can become your powerful friend and we can take Equestria together."

Discord seemed deep in thought. "How do you plan to grow in strength if I only provide you with a small portion of my chaos?"

"I have several ways," answered Icarus, "but if I told you them now, you could use them for yourself and then I would be useless to you."

"Fair enough," mumbled Discord. "Wait here."

Discord preceded to exit the room, leaving Icarus alone in the large room. Several minutes passed until Discord returned, and he was carrying a small wooden box.

"This box contains a chaos orb. If you crush it between your front hooves, the ability to control minor chaos powers will be yours."

Icarus accepted the box wordlessly as Discord continued.

A troubled expression presented itself on Discord's face. "What about Fluttershy? We are still friends and she is the first real friend I have ever had."

"When you and I are in complete control of the land, we will have the ability to wipe the memories of every being in Equestria and input what we want them to think what happened. We can simply brainwash Fluttershy to make her your friend again."

"I suppose," replied Discord. He turned his attention back to Icarus. "I wish you the best of luck. Once you have the power you speak of, return to me and we can develop a plan to take Equestria."

Icarus nodded. "Of course." He then promptly turned around and left the hut.

As Icarus stepped back out onto the street, he carefully opened the box and peered inside. A shimmering dark ball of swirling colors rested inside. It looked delicate, but it was also very beautiful. He closed the box and started towards the train station.

He had done it. He had tricked Discord into giving a portion of his power to him. Icarus had recited the lie in his head dozens of times in an effort to make it more presentable. Discord didn't know it, but he had just given Icarus a tool that would lead to Discord's downfall, but that didn't matter at the moment. Icarus had obtained the starting point that he believed would lead to the return of his forgotten past.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter begins to show the start of Icarus' journey, as well as his true colors once he arrives at his first objective. As the story progresses, you will learn more about him and how he became the way he is. _~Kalameet_


	4. Chapter 4: New Light

**A/N:** Caution! The following chapter is a bit gruesome in comparison to what has gone on in the story so far. If you wish to skip the gore, you can skip the flashback and go directly to the present events of the story in section 2, however, you will miss some important information to the plot in the next chapter if you do so.

* * *

Chapter 4: New Light

Icarus stepped out of the janitor closet at the bottom of the stairs. He turned towards the exit door and put his ear against it. Nothing. He opened the door slowly and looked into the hall.

The unnatural darkness obscured Icarus' vision. He couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of him. He walked through the door and tried to focus his vision. It didn't help. He couldn't tell if he had entered a room or hallway.

The deep silence that surrounded him almost disturbed him. He started to walk forward cautiously. The darkness swallowed Icarus as he continued onward. The sound of his steps was his only accompaniment. That, and the sound of a slow dripping noise out in the distance. The sound was quiet, but it still reverberated throughout the room.

Fear suddenly gripped Icarus. He couldn't stand it. His surroundings were unnerving him. He wanted his room back. He wanted to sleep in his bed again. He didn't want to escape. Why did he ever want to? Icarus turned around and headed back from where he came.

Drip, drip. Something wasn't right. He should have reached the door by now. Icarus began a swift trot. Drip, drip. His hunger pains diminished as he quickened his pace. Never again. Icarus would sooner jump out the window of his room than come here again. Drip, drip. Icarus broke out into a sprint. The door. All he wanted was to see the door. Any door. Anything. He just wanted release from this godforsaken room. Drip, drip.

Icarus stopped running. He inhaled quickly to let out a scream, but the silhouette of someone caught his attention amid the darkness. He approached the figure with mixed emotions. He felt scared, but relieved. Excited, but suspicious.

"H... hello?"

The figure turned around and approached Icarus casually. He was taken aback at who he saw. It was the nurse. The one who had given him the note. She stopped a couple feet in front of him.

"Hello," she replied. She eyed him for a moment, and then spoke again. "Why do you seek to return from whence you came? Does freedom not entice you?"

Icarus was shaking. "I just... Please help me back to the stairs. I'm fine here, really." His words were chopped up.

"Ah, Icarus, I can't say I'm not disappointing to hear you say that. But you can't go back, not anymore."

Icarus' eyes widened. His expression became almost frantic. "But... The door..."

"...Is right over there," she motioned to the right with her head.

Icarus glanced at the door, then back at the pony in front of him. He turned to run towards the door, towards his safety, towards his old life. An invisible force froze Icarus in place before he could take his first step. He looked back at the nurse and saw a faint glow of light that was centered on her head. He hadn't noticed her horn before.

"You _can't_ go back!" she demanded. "After what happened tonight, nothing will be the same for you. You must trust me and leave this building before dawn."

Icarus felt the restraining force diminish. He turned back towards her. "What do you mean? What happened?"

She began to retreat into the shadows behind her.

"Wait!" pleaded Icarus. "What is your name?"

The only response he received was a steady dripping noise, until he heard her voice reverberate from the very shadows themselves.

"Eve."

Eve. The name rang through Icarus' head. It almost sounded familiar. He had more questions for her. He wanted to know his role in all this. Why did she want him? He was a feeble, pathetic pony who had suffered from amnesia. He was worthless.

His thinking was abruptly interrupted when the room's lights burst into life. Icarus shielded his eyes until they adjusted to the blinding light. He looked forward. The sight appalled him.

In front of him lay dozens of mangled doctor corpses. Their countless bodies littered the floor. Their white uniforms were now stained red from blood. Icarus stumbled backwards. The pools of blood covering the floor before him were still wet.

Now he understood. He _couldn't_ go back even if he wanted to. A long pole protruding from the ground caught his attention. Icarus' head doctor had been impaled on it and lay suspended above the other carcasses. His limp head hung towards the floor. A steady red stream gathered itself at the end of his snout. Mortified, Icarus watched the drops of blood fall to the floor. Drip, drip.

* * *

The sun had begun to set as Icarus entered an opening in the Everfree Forest. He held the small box tightly to his chest. After leaving Discord, Icarus had ventured directly to the forest. He needed seclusion, and besides, his first target was there too.

Icarus set the box on the ground and opened the lid. He admired the shimmering colors on it in the dying light. He almost felt bad about having to crush something so beautiful. He picked up the orb and held it firmly between his two front hooves.

This was the moment. The moment he had been waiting for for so long. In an instant, he would be able to unleash power simply by wanting it to happen. Icarus braced himself and thrust his front hooves together.

The sphere crumbled under the force and released a hissing noise. Black sludge oozed out from the crushed remains of the sphere and slithered onto Icarus' front hooves. Icarus began to panic. He tried to wipe it off, but it refused to let go of his skin as it crept more and more over his body.

Icarus tripped over a rock and sprawled out on the ground. The slime had covered his hind legs and began to surround his face. It slithered over his eyes and reconnected with itself at Icarus' chin.

A surge of energy suddenly burst through Icarus. This feeling was more wonderful than anything he had felt before! He felt like he could do anything! He was invincible! He...

A splitting headache interrupted Icarus' excitement. Its sudden appearance caught him off guard. This extreme pain made the energy he just experienced seem so meager. His forehead felt like it was going to burst. The pain became unbearable. Icarus blacked out.

* * *

When he came to, Icarus' body was aching all over. The sludge was gone, but he was still sticky, almost as if he had absorbed the slime and all that remained was the residue. He rolled onto his hooves and took a moment to evaluate the situation.

Icarus stood in the middle of a small crater. He noticed his shadow and looked into the sky. The sun was high in the sky. He had been unconscious for the entire evening and night. He turned around and accidentally hit the tip of his head against a nearby tree. He cringed and gripped the top of his head, but he felt something new instead. He glanced around and spotted a nearby stream and hurried over to look at his reflection.

Atop Icarus' forehead sat a horn. It was about average length and had the same charcoal grey color to it that covered Icarus' body. He stepped into the stream to clean the residue off his body. During the cleaning, he noticed something on his front left upper foreleg. Icarus looked at it more closely. It was a symbol of the chaos orb Icarus had absorbed. He admired it for a moment, then he returned to the crater.

Icarus paused for a moment, then he looked at a nearby flower. A sudden impulse came over him. He wanted it to burn. He lifted his leg with the orb symbol on it and directed it towards the flower. Icarus felt a powerful force rush out of his hoof and strike the flower. It erupted into flames and burned up in mere seconds before him.

He then directed his attention to a tree. It had a narrow hole that went all the way through it. Icarus closed his eyes and focused on the tree. When he opened his eyes, the tree had been warped. It looked as if its sides had been stretched apart, causing the hole in it to spread as well. Icarus stepped through the hole in the tree, then returned the tree to normal.

Icarus smiled a deep, broad grin. He knew what he had acquired wasn't much, but it was something, and something was all he needed.


	5. Chapter 5: Dare to Dream

**A/N:** Similarly to the last chapter, the flashback in this chapter is a bit morbid as well. You have been warned.

* * *

Chapter 5: Dare to Dream

There he stood. The shock at what he was witnessing didn't allow him to move, to speak, to do anything, but stare. Stare at the massacre before him. The world seemed to stop, and Icarus felt so small sitting in the middle of the floor.

He looked at the nurse body closest to him. Millie was her name. She was the first nurse Icarus had met at the hospital. Millie had welcomed him there and was the friendliest mare he had ever met.

He turned away and saw the nurse who would bring him his daily meals. She never spoke to him, which made Icarus think she disliked him. Most of the time she was his only company.

Finally, he looked at the doctor that had been stabbed through the pole in the ground. His name was Dr. Adams. He had visited Icarus a couple times to tell him how his treatments had been doing.

Icarus shook his head. Everything seemed so futile. Escape, remembering, answers, they all seemed out of his grasp. Disappointment was inevitable. What was the purpose of this game of life other than to create dreams that would only be smashed by crushing realizations?

In that moment, something clicked inside Icarus. Why should he become part of this life-death cycle? Why couldn't he shape his own destiny into something bigger?

An idea presented itself to him. An idea that would grant him everything he ever wanted. His depression melted as this epiphany grew inside him.

Icarus needed to know where to start. He had no idea where he was or where to go, but he was going to figure it out. Determination enveloped Icarus like a flood filling a city.

He looked forward and approached Dr. Adams' corpse. The icy blood on the floor chilled Icarus' hooves, but that wouldn't stop him. Nothing would. He reached the doctor and looked up at him one last time.

Dr. Adams' eyes were missing. The empty sockets were leaking blood. A piece of bloodstained paper was attached to his uniform. Icarus plucked it off and read it.

"And let those who are deceived by their foolishness be blinded to show them the errors in their ways."

Icarus released the slip of paper. He grabbed Dr. Adams and pulled him down the pole. The sliding body caused an awful squishing noise to resonate from the impalement. It didn't faze Icarus. He was too focused on his digging through Dr. Adams' pockets.

At last, he felt the jagged edges of a key. He pulled it out and looked at the room number on the key. It was room 211. He stuck the key in his wing and turned to the stairs door.

This place was full of secrets. What better place to start his searching than the head doctor's office? It was sure to give him some leads as to where to go and what he could use to help him.

As Icarus reached the door, he took one final look at the room behind him. A trail of bloody hoof prints led to where he stood, but he didn't care. He was too centered on his goal to care about anything else. He opened the door and preceded to go up the stairs.

As the door closed behind him, Eve stepped out from behind the slaughter. She looked at the bloody hoof prints and let out a sigh.

"I didn't want to do this Icarus, but you forced my hoof. Going back to your old life isn't an option in my plan, but I think you will follow the guidelines from here on out."

She turned back to face the remains of the hospital staff. "Oh, how they have broken you so. At least my actions tonight have quenched my thirst for revenge. I can only hope that you can find the same satisfaction in completing your goal before you."

She then turned and walked out the front doors and into the cold night's embrace.

* * *

Icarus peered at the lone hut through the bush in the Everfree Forest. It seemed that the owner wasn't home due to the lack of smoke from the chimney.

He emerged from his hiding spot and quietly approached an open window. He sat there for a couple minutes to listen if it was empty. The only noticeable noise was the sound of something bubbling.

He peeked inside. The first thing he noticed were all the masks on the wall. Some other odd trinkets were scattered among the antiques. A cauldron full of green liquid boiled in the middle of the room.

Icarus hopped through the window onto the floor. He wished he had the time to admire the contents of the hut, but that wasn't why he was here. He closed his eyes and focused.

Using his chaos powers, he felt around the room with his mind for any source of outstanding power. As he neared the end of his search, he sensed a strong, dark vigor behind one of the cupboards. Good, it was still here.

Icarus walked over and opened the cupboard. It was empty. However, he noticed a slight discoloration in the wood. It was in the back wall and was shaped like a small door. Icarus reached forward.

The light reflecting off a small, clear wire caught his eye. He froze. Then, following the string with his eyes, he noticed where it vanished in a hole on the right wall of the cupboard. Perhaps a sleeping dart would be triggered if he displaced the string. He didn't want to find out.

Icarus looked around to see if he could notice any more traps. He noticed several more strings, but nothing else. He knew what to do. Gathering up power within him, he channeled it towards the space where the strings were.

They wobbled for a moment, then bent upwards, exposing the trap door behind them. Icarus was always fascinated by being able to bend space to his will. He reached forward again and opened the door. A small chest rested inside. He snagged it and closed the trap door. He then returned the strings to normal and closed the cupboard door.

As Icarus turned to leave, he heard a voice outside that was approaching the hut. He quickly channeled his focus on the light in the room, warping it so that the light would not hit his body. This rendered him invisible.

He was just in time. The door swung open and in walked a zebra. She was humming to herself and carried a basket filled with various plants. If she sensed Icarus' presence, she didn't show it.

Icarus guessed that she was Zecora. She was the only known zebra in these parts and, considering he had searched for her hut specifically, it only made sense that it was her.

She dropped a couple items into the simmering pot while muttering to herself.

"A failsafe plan is what she asked, and I told her I was up to the task. She kept the specifics hidden and I can understand, however if this is as important as she has bidden then she better have a master plan."

A puff of smoke popped out of the cauldron as Zecora added the final ingredients. The smell of decaying roses filled Icarus' nostrils.

"One more flower is all I need to finish the brew and then proceed."

She opened the door and returned outside.

Icarus allowed himself to breathe as he became visible again. The spell had drained a large sum of energy from him. He wanted to collapse on the floor and sleep, but he had to escape first before Zecora came back.

He slipped through the open window and jogged back towards where he came from, cradling the chest all the while.

_~1 Hour Later~_

As Icarus returned to the opening, he set the chest in the crater and went to the stream for a drink. He needed rest. Between performing numerous spells and the run back to camp, Icarus was exhausted. He returned to the crater and fell to the ground. The chest could wait for tomorrow.

_~The Next Morning~_

When Icarus opened his eyes, he could hear the cheerful chirping of birds around him. The sun had already risen. The warming rays made Icarus want to snuggle up in a bed and sleep forever. Wait, wasn't there something he needed to do? The chest popped back into Icarus' head and he sprang to life.

He picked it up. It appeared locked. Icarus tried to force it open using his chaos powers, but the chest resisted his attempts. He gave up trying to pry it open and thought of another idea.

He grabbed a nearby twig and shoved it into the chest's keyhole. Focusing on the stick, he molded it to match the locking mechanism inside the chest. After a simple twist of the stick, the chest lid clicked open.

Icarus marveled at the treasure inside. The reflection of the sun shimmered against the red gem in the center of the amulet. The Alicorn amulet was the most beautiful piece of jewelry he had ever seen. It also contained unimaginable power that he desired, but he knew not to wear it because of the side effects it would have on him.

He picked it up and shoved the chest away. If he wore it, he knew it would corrupt him, which would lead to the destruction of Equestria. Icarus didn't want that; He only wanted the power contained within it.

He set the Alicorn amulet in the middle of the crater. Soon, it would no longer possess any power. Icarus channeled his power into the tip of his horn and touched it against the red gem in the center of the amulet.

The rush of emotions concealed inside caught him off guard. They swirled around his thoughts and attacked his mind. He felt them all: pain, anger, despair, hate, frustration, revenge, rage, fear, depression, mourning, death. A cold shiver ran down his spine and he dropped the amulet on the ground.

All the feelings vanished as suddenly as they had appeared. Icarus opened his eyes and stomped on the ground with one of his front hooves. He wasn't about to give up. He couldn't press on until he finished. He picked up the amulet again and braced himself as he touched it with his horn again.

This assault was just as strong as the initial one. Icarus resisted it for a couple seconds, but it started to overwhelm him. He began to feel his own emotions falter. Angry. He was very angry and he had no reason for it. No, wait, was it sadness? No, fear? He couldn't tell.

Icarus was failing. At this rate, the strength of the Alicorn amulet would crush his willpower, rendering him insane.

No. That wouldn't happen. He wouldn't let it happen. He had traveled so far, pushed through so many obstacles, and he was about to be trumped by a necklace? Determination welled up within him. Icarus unleashed this sudden energy on the oppressing force.

The dark emotions split from the strength they were rooted in. Icarus seized the moment and pushed away the dark feelings back into the amulet. He then turned his attention to what remained. The sheer presence of the lingering power left him in awe. It put his acquired chaos powers to shame in comparison. It surrounded his consciousness and began to flow through his being like the blood in his body.

Icarus opened his eyes and looked down at the Alicorn amulet. The gem was no longer was red, rather, it was now deep purple. He set it back into the chest and took a couple minutes to bury it in the crater.

When he finished, he noticed something new about the symbol he had received from the chaos orb. It now had a red, diamond-shaped gem in the center of it. He was finished. Icarus let out a sigh and sat on the ground.

His thoughts began to wander about where he should go next. After a couple minutes of thinking, he decided that he needed to be able to disguise himself. This would be most useful in the near future.

Icarus focused on the destination he wished to travel to. The new power he obtained began to take effect. He felt the world spinning beneath his hooves and, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.


	6. Chapter 6: More Questions

6. More Questions

Room 211. Icarus had navigated himself to the office without difficulty, although he had slipped a couple of times due to his bloody hooves, causing his underside to have a thin coat of blood clinging to it.

He shoved the key into the doorknob and opened the door. Upon entry, nothing really stood out to Icarus as bizarre or odd. The office consisted of a desk, a couple of filing cabinets, a whiteboard, and a couple suitcases. It was just a plain office.

Icarus was a bit disappointed, but aesthetics weren't the reason he had come. He sat in a nearby chair behind the desk, then pulled up the closet suitcase. Its label read "Patients A-H."

He set it back on the ground. Icarus needed the section containing his name. He grabbed the next case in line. "R-Z." The next one. Hospital staff information. Next. Dr. Adams' notes.

This could be useful. He opened it up and browsed the introduction contents. He paused when he saw the title "Bizarre Treatments." After the note was given to him by Eve, Icarus had questioned the methods of treatment the hospital had performed. He flipped to that section and began skimming the notes.

Some of these "treatments" had seemed more hurtful than helpful, such as when a mutated pony with five legs had its extra leg dipped into an acid to dissolve it. Other treatments were simply weird, including a case where a pony had peanut butter slathered over the boils covering its body.

He continued his search. Page after page, but nothing was useful. Finally, he noticed a memory section amid other atrocities. He flipped to it and took a sudden, short breath at the first patient. It was Eve. She looked different though. In this picture, her coat and mane were both a beautiful royal blue color. However, when she was downstairs only minutes ago, her coat was black with a dark navy blue mane. Perhaps it was a mistake.

Icarus looked at the treatment summary.

"Eve was our first available patient that we could attempt memory reconfiguration on. Fortunately for us, she was in a coma when she arrived, which allowed us to secure her in a lock-down room safely. We fastened her hooves in place, as well as her head and jaw..."

What? What was memory reconfiguration? Why did they need to do it on Eve? Why were the doctors so cautious around her? He kept reading.

"The purpose of this operation is to remove parts of the memory which include violence, triggers to aggression, and motivations towards hostile activity. This procedure should render the patient oblivious of any harmful actions or events that have been present in his/her life, thus making the pony harmless. Due to the conditions that these patients are under, it is only fitting that we take the necessary precautions to keep anypony from getting hurt. Unfortunately, we underestimated Eve. She refused to eat one day, which allowed the disability drugs to begin to fade. Eve realized we were drugging her, so she stopped eating altogether. We hadn't realized this at the time because she was throwing food away using her magic from her horn. We thought she was unable to do this because of the drugs we assumed she had taken would prevent it. After the effects had completely worn off, she managed to unlatch her bindings. When the doctors came to visit her that afternoon, Eve was gone. To the current date, she is still missing."

The description ended there. Icarus looked back at the picture again. Was she really as hostile as the description claimed? He then thought about the slaughter downstairs. That might have been caused by her. If it was, Icarus knew he would have to be very careful the next time he encountered her.

He turned the page, eyes widening at the next subject. It was him. He had suspected he might have been somewhere in this section, but he wasn't certain. He read the description.

"Icarus was our second patient that we had the opportunity to perform memory reconfiguration on. At the time, it was vital that we perform the operation successfully. Being an associate of Eve, he was a huge threat and we made sure not to underestimate him after the incident with Eve's escape..."

He had a past with Eve? But more importantly, had he really been an aggressive pony that needed to have such a surgery? He couldn't imagine himself hurting anypony else.

"A couple of days after he arrived, we performed the memory reconfiguration operation. It was a huge success. We also decided it was for the best that we remove his horn as well. After Icarus woke up a couple of days later, he could not remember any of his past. We started and are currently keeping him drugged until we receive further notice."

Further notice? Who was directing the doctors? Why would they remove his horn? He didn't even know he used to have one. Whatever. He had found what he wanted, at least about why he was taken there. He crammed the files back into the suitcase and set it back on the floor.

Icarus picked up the last suitcase. "Equestrian Letters and News." This might include where he could go after he left the hospital. He opened it up and started with entry one.

* * *

As quickly as Icarus had left the Everfree forest, he reappeared in a clearing. The sickly green sky ominously loomed over the dark terrain that covered the land. The only visible landmark was a dome-shaped structure further down the valley Icarus had teleported himself to.

He took a moment to make himself invisible like he had done in Zecora's hut, then transported himself to the base of the structure. He looked up and marveled at its magnificent size. The changelings hive was larger than he had imagined, but its lack of color refrained it from reaching its true potential.

Icarus could see drones coming and going every couple of minutes. A couple of them paused to look where he stood, but they continued on.

This was going to be difficult. Due to the nature of changelings, they can sense all kinds of emotions inside creatures, no matter how minute. His invisibility wouldn't help him as much he wished.

He approached what he believed to be one of the main entrances and walked inside. It was dark. Icarus could see nonetheless, but it was still difficult. The corridor was lit by glowing blue stones encased in the walls.

Where were all the changelings? It didn't bother Icarus about their absence, but it was somewhat unsettling. It then struck him that they might be nocturnal, so they could be resting.

Icarus came to the end of the hall, which opened up into a large, dome-shaped room in the center of the hive. This atrium was buzzing with changeling activity. Some were practicing their transformations, while others were talking or hurrying off to places they needed to be.

Nope, they weren't nocturnal. Icarus chuckled to himself at his mistake. He walked forward, hoping to himself that he wouldn't be found, but it was in vain.

He hadn't taken ten steps before the atrium began to quiet down while the changelings looked around curiously. Icarus was too driven by his emotions to conceal them. They weren't fooled by his attempt at deception, and he knew it. He allowed himself to become visible.

In the next moment, he was being stared at by hundreds of blue-eyed creatures. There was a moment of pause, then a faint growl began to resonate throughout the room. It grew. It grew until Icarus couldn't hear himself think.

It was intimidating, but it had a deeper feel to it. Rage. As Icarus looked into the eyes of changelings around him, he could see the hatred they contained. They wanted to kill. He tried to back away, but he noticed they had surrounded him.

Icarus was frantically thinking of how he could escape. He had already stressed his magical limits when he had teleported such a long distance; He didn't think he could safely transport away. They were closing in.

"Stop!" boomed a voice.

The changelings immediately stopped their advance and ominous growling, but they never stopped looking at him with anger in their eyes. From above descended what appeared to be the changeling queen. She glided gracefully to the opening before Icarus. She looked him over before she spoke again.

"So under what circumstances cause you to intrude upon my domain in such methods?" Her voice was hard.

"Um... I... I..." Icarus sighed. "I came to obtain a morph gem that could help me in my quest."

"Thief!" came a voice from the crowd. "We should rid us of him right now!"

"Peace," spoke the queen, and all was silent. "I am Amber, queen of the changelings. I protect them and do what I believe is best for the hive. Right now, it appears you are a threat that needs eradicating."

"Wait!" Icarus spoke up. "If I complete my quest, I will have the ability to help you and your entire hive to thrive."

Amber raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I will soon have the power to destroy Celestia and take control of Equestria. When I become ruler, I can preserve peace between our nations."

"You just attempted to sneak into our home and steal one of our unique gems that we allow no outsider access, and you expect me to suddenly have a change of heart because you claim you can help us? Your actions say otherwise."

Icarus looked at the ground in shame. "I was afraid you wouldn't be willing to part with one of your gems to a stranger like me, regardless of what I pleaded. I was going to take it, but I would return it to you when I finish. However, this I promise: I _will_ confront Celestia and I _will_ honor our agreement if you agree to it.

"How do I know I can trust you?" her eyes narrowed.

"You could send some of your changelings to spy on me for the remainder of my journey to tell you of my whereabouts. From there, you could verify if I was telling you the truth or not."

Amber suddenly widened her eyes, as if struck by some great revelation, but she concealed it as quickly as it had appeared. "I have something else in mind, but very well." She pulled out a small, octagonal-shaped green gem out from one of her wings. "You need to crush it up and sprinkle the powder into drinking water, then consume it. Good luck Icarus."

Icarus nodded and began to walk down the path from whence he came. Obtaining the morph gem had been surprisingly easy. He only needed one more stop until- wait... How did Amber know his name?

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you liked the chapter! The next one is the longest I've written so far so that's something to look forward to! Just to let you guys know, every time I look at the story and notice it has a new follower, review, or favorite, it really means a lot to me that you would take time out of your day just to read a story that I wrote. It sincerely gives me that incentive to keep writing, because it means that I'm not writing for a bunch of people who skim the summary and skip it on the FanFiction site. It means that you actually enjoy my work! So I wanted to make this author's note to specifically thank you, the readers, for reading and (hopefully) enjoying the story! _~Kalameet_


	7. Chapter 7: From Fraud to Fight

**A/N:** Sorry guys, no flashback this chapter. To compensate, I wrote a poem to take its place. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7: From Fraud to Fight

_There once was a pony with such a clever tongue,_

_and he was very persuasive, even when he was young._

_He would bend others' wills to his benefit,_

_his lies being, oh, so intricate._

_But there was a single mare who he could not fool._

_She resisted his words; she would not be his tool._

_The harder he tried, the harder she fought._

_He was determined, but she gave in, not._

_Until he decided that he was finally done;_

_He knew in his heart that she was the one._

_He asked her if, with him, she would travel the land,_

_to steal the powers of others, then rule Equestria was his plan._

_At first she was suspicious, but she agreed to go._

_He was being sincere, she monitored him though,_

_and so they finally left to start on their quest,_

_leaving behind their homes, possessions, and all the rest._

_As their travels took them from shore to shore,_

_their talents and powers grow all the more._

_They raided towns to test their skills,_

_destroying everything from homes to mills._

_They moved towards inland Equestria to fulfill their goal,_

_but the princess Celestia had predicted them to do so._

_She caught them in an ambush when they were unaware._

_The stallion escaped, but not so lucky was the mare._

_Captured was she, and taken to jail_

_awaiting to be taken to her own form of hell._

_the stallion lasted only another week,_

_he was captured while walking alone on an empty street._

_They were both taken to places unknown_

_some say they were banished, others say they were turned to stone._

_That is the end, there is no more_

_unless you stumble upon that pair once more..._

* * *

Icarus looked at his reflection in the water, only it wasn't his reflection. Staring back at him in the stream stood Twilight Sparkle, with her head arched over in the same fashion that his was. He made a couple movements that were mimicked in the water. Satisfied, Icarus allowed his body to regain its normal physique.

He had spent two whole days mastering the ability to change his appearance. The morph gem had worked like a charm. He had even snuck around Ponyville to spy on Twilight's friends to see how they acted so he could better play the character he intended to replicate. At this point, he felt confident he wouldn't mess up his visit this afternoon. He started a swift trot towards Ponyville.

_~20 Minutes Later~_

Icarus emerged from the trees and into the cool afternoon breeze. The soothing sun and chirping birds helped calm his nerves. He changed his appearance to resemble that of Fluttershy's and scuffled over to the library where Twilight lived. Before he knocked on the door, he altered his voice to be much softer and sound feminine.

"Uh... Twilight?" he asked. It was almost scary how much he resembled Fluttershy.

The door opened. "Oh, hey Fluttershy," Twilight said. "What's up?"

"I... uh... would like to talk to you about something in private, I mean, if that's ok with you."

"Sure! Come on in. I'll send Spike into another room so we can be alone."

That wouldn't do. Icarus needed to capture Spike also to keep him from getting help.

"Oh it's fine if he hears. In fact, I would like to know what he thinks about my dilemma," Icarus replied.

"Alright." Twilight turned to face upstairs. "Spike! Fluttershy wants to talk with us about something."

The small dragon poked his head out from above the stairs. "Hey Fluttershy!" He ran down the stairs and sat down on the couch next to Twilight.

"Ok, so what's this all about?" Asked Twilight, concerned.

They both stared at Icarus as he gathered himself together. He felt beads of sweat gather on the back of his neck, and the fire crackling in the fireplace behind him wasn't helping. The situation was delicate. One slip up would result in Icarus' exposure, which would cause him to lose his element of surprise.

"You see, I-"

The front doors burst open and in flew Rainbow Dash. "Twilight! We need to go to the town square! It's an emergency!"

"Calm down Rainbow," Twilight responded. "What's happening?"

"I don't have time to explain. I need to alert the rest of Ponyville. When you get there, Zecora will give you the details."

Icarus' ears perked up. "Zecora? Oh no..." he thought to himself.

So much for the stealthy approach. Rainbow flew out of the library as quickly as she had entered. Twilight turned back towards Icarus.

"We should see what this is all about. Can we continue this talk of yours another time?"

"Ok," Icarus replied meekly. However, he knew that he couldn't be seen there if the _real_ Fluttershy attended.

Twilight and Spike hurried toward the front door while Icarus intentionally lagged behind.

"Come on, Fluttershy!" Spike beckoned.

Icarus increased his pace, but still remained behind the other two as they exited Twilight's house and started down the street. When he was a safe distance behind them, he slipped into a small alley between two houses. There, he returned his appearance to normal. He then turned himself invisible, just to safely remain undetected.

"Fluttershy?" Icarus heard Twilight's voice from around the corner. "Spike, did you see where Fluttershy went?"

"I bet she is sneaking home to avoid all this commotion."

"Possibly... I guess I'll just ask her later."

Icarus waited until their voices disappeared among those of the gathering crowd. He teleported to the top of the building closest to the mass gathering in the town square. They were surrounding a lone Zebra.

As Zecora spoke up, silence issued itself upon the scene.

"Your attention and help is what I plead, the participation of everypony is what I need. The Alicorn Amulet has been stolen from me, the thief behind it was crafty indeed."

Murmurs sounded from the crowd. Zecora waited for her words to sink in, then spoke again.

"After taking the relic and leaving the hut, he left the front door open, the klutz! I quickly looked for the amulet in there, but all my protective traps had been snared."

Something wasn't right. Icarus hadn't even touched the front door, as well as triggered her traps. He kept listening.

"If we work together we can catch this thief, and keep our anxiety about this issue brief."

Twilight was the next to speak up. "If anyone knows or finds anything suspicious let Zecora or me know immediately. Let's separate into groups and start searching!"

The horde dispersed into six groups that went in separate directions. After a couple minutes, the only remaining ponies in the square were Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. Twilight addressed them next.

"Ok, I need you all to follow my directions to increase our chances of success. Rainbow, I want you to be our eye in the sky. Watch the groups and see if they have any luck finding the amulet."

"Aye-aye, captain!" saluted Rainbow as she began her ascent.

"Applejack and Pinkie Pie, you guys need to relay messages to and from the search parties. Make sure to keep everypony informed on how our progress is going."

"Okie-dokie!" came a jubilant reply from Pinkie Pie. She bounced away when Applejack spoke up.

"Are ya sure we can find it Twilight? I mean, what if tha thief is wearin' it? What do we do then?"

"Then we will get help from Celestia. I am a princess under her wing after all, so I'm sure she will assist us."

Applejack was still unconvinced, but she turned to follow Pinkie.

"Rarity, could you use your magic to detect the gem encrusted in the Alicorn Amulet?"

"Twilight my dear, that would take me no time at all! I bet I can find it within the hour," responded Rarity in her posh tone. Her horn illuminated and a blue aura surrounded it. To Icarus' dismay, she began to trot towards the Everfree Forest.

"Not yet," he whispered to himself. "I need more time."

He understood that because of Rarity's familiarity with gems and jewelry, she would find Icarus' hidden spot in the forest with ease, and the buried amulet that would draw her there. He needed to act now, and, because the real Fluttershy wasn't around at the moment, his masquerade could still work.

A moment later, Icarus had changed his appearance and voice to mimic that of Fluttershy's and was approaching Twilight, who was having a discussion with Spike.

"No. I want you to stay with me in case we need to alert Celestia," he heard her say as he got closer.

When Twilight noticed him, relief washed over her. "Fluttershy! Where have you been?! I was concerned when you disappeared behind us on our way here."

Icarus looked at the ground and tried to look shameful to sell his acting. "You see, with all the commotion, I wanted to check on all my animal friends at home to make sure they were ok."

"It's ok Fluttershy, just be sure to let us know beforehand next time."

Icarus nodded as Twilight continued.

"Since you weren't here when Zecora told everyone about the matter at hand; I'll fill you in. The Alicorn Amulet has been stolen from Zecora and we need every available-" She cut off abruptly as she noticed something approach her from behind Icarus. She eyed Icarus, then looked back at it.

Icarus turned around. It was Fluttershy. The _real_ Fluttershy. A confused expression covered her face as she watched this imposter stand with Twilight.

"What... What's going on?" she began.

"I was going to ask the same thing, responded Twilight as she suspiciously looked at Icarus. Her horn acquired a purple aura which surrounded it. "Are you Fluttershy?" she asked Icarus.

He knew that she must have cast a lie detection spell to reveal him if he was a fake, but that didn't matter. What _was _important was that her horn was glowing, which meant her magical abilities were open and flowing throughout her body.

Icarus looked Twilight dead in the eyes and smirked. "I don't have time for this." He immediately drew out his power that he held within and embraced the cold fate he had chosen for Twilight. He clenched his hoof and lunged toward her. Twilight tried to jump back, but Icarus was too fast for her. As his hoof made contact with her, a frigid burst of ice exploded and covered Twilight instantly. She was frozen inside a case of ice, including the aura around her horn.

Fortunately for Icarus, Spike had been sitting atop Twilight at the time, freezing him as well. Icarus turned and faced Fluttershy as she stood there, shocked.

"Wh... Who... Who _are _you? She slowly backed away as he approached her.

"Me?" He reverted his shape back to normal, but, wanting to invoke fear into her, allowed his eyes to become a blood-red hue instead of their normal blue color.

"Me?!" he repeated?

Fluttershy's trembling body flinched at the increased sound from his voice.

"I am the undetectable shadow in the night, the knife concealed under its cloak, and, most importantly, the strongest creature in Equestria!"

He hated how cliché it sounded, but he also wanted to inspire fear in any that might fight back.

The closer Icarus got to Fluttershy, the more frantic she became. She was petrified from terror.

"Wait! Stop!" She cried.

Icarus set his hoof on her head and, like Twilight, encased her in ice instantly.

He returned to Twilight with haste. Anypony was bound to be here at any moment from all the commotion. He quickly but carefully chipped away the ice that surrounded the tip of Twilight's horn. The purple aura was still lingering. Good.

Icarus touched the end of his horn to hers and felt the great pool of magic that flowed through her. He tried to channel it into himself, but it was woven into Twilight's being. It was part of her personality, which couldn't be taken from her.

An idea struck him. What if he duplicated her magical knowledge within himself? That would allow him to obtain Twilight's powers without directly stealing them. Icarus focused on the flow of magic inside Twilight and managed to use his own flow to replicate it, then return to its original state with ease. He was satisfied with the results.

As Icarus disconnected his horn from Twilight's, a blurry cyan figure barreled itself into him, sending him skidding across the ground. After he finally stopped, he forced himself from the ground to face his attacker. It was Rainbow Dash. Before he could do so much as lift a hoof, she zipped in front of him and landed a solid uppercut underneath his chin, sending him sailing backwards several more feet.

His body burned. Icarus felt the warm blood from his split jaw fill his mouth. He gagged for a moment, then spat onto the ground next to him.

"Don't you _dare_ think you can hurt my friends and get away with it! I swear, I will end you if you try to do it again!"

Excellent, she had stopped her assault... for now. Icarus quickly used one of Twilights healing spells to mend his jaw.

"What in tarnation is goin' on here?" asked Applejack as she ran onto the scene. Pinkie was close behind her.

"We heard lots of loud noises coming from over here and we thought we should check it out!" Pinkie added enthusiastically.

They both paused when they noticed Icarus laying on the ground, bloody and bruised.

"Look at what he did to Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike!" Rainbow pleaded.

At this point, Icarus' jaw had been repaired and his more painful injuries had been healed. He stood up and glared at the three ponies surrounding him.

"Pinkie, could ya take Twilight and tha others ta someplace warm so they can thaw out? Rainbow and I can take care of this."

Pinkie Pie scurried off to help her frozen friends.

"So, a two-on-one, eh?" spoke Icarus. Although Dash had socked him good only moments ago, she had caught him off guard, which gave her the upper hoof. But now they all looked at each other with the urge to fight. "Come on then!"

Without missing a beat, Rainbow Dash and Applejack lunged forward.


	8. Chapter 8: A Brutal Brawl

Chapter 8: A Brutal Brawl

Icarus closed the last page of the folder and set it back into the suitcase he had taken it from. His eyes were sore from all the reading, but the information he had learned from it was priceless.

It had mainly contained letters from this princess, Celestia was her name. Why did that name sound so familiar? Whatever. He recounted the news he had discovered.

Apparently, the land he was in was known as Equestria. It contained many magical creatures and elements that helped it thrive. This pleased Icarus. It meant there was more opportunity for him.

He had taken mental notes about the most powerful ones, such as the Alicorn Amulet that was left in the care of Zecora. She was a zebra that lived in the Everfree forest off the edge of Ponyville, which was a well-known town in Equestria. It was well-known mainly because of the adventures of six mares that had saved the day on many occasions. Every single one of their major challenges had been described in great detail, along with a couple pictures of what each one looked like.

Icarus had also learned about a crafty chaos god known as Discord. According to the letters, he had been reformed by the six heroic mares, but Icarus thought otherwise. One does not simply change his ways and give up his dreams for something as miniscule as a friendship. Icarus thought he could try to tell Discord that he could provide a solution if he was given some power as a starting point. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

After that, he knew that he would need a more substantial power source. The two best options that stood out to him were the Alicorn Amulet and the Crystal Heart. The Crystal Heart would provide him with much more power than the other, but not only did it sustain the entire crystal pony race, it also was being held in the Crystal Empire, which was an incredibly great distance away from the hospital.

It would take months to reach the empire, let alone manage to steal the heart. Icarus also didn't like the idea of an entire race suffering just because of his selfishness. Because of their dependence on the heart, the Crystal Ponies couldn't live in peace without the power from it.

After discarding that option, he turned his attention to the Alicorn Amulet. It was very powerful, but was infected with a distorted evil essence that would corrupt any who wore it. Dealing with that would be an issue he needed to solve later.

He also needed a way to obtain the magic from the leader of the six mares. Her name was Twilight Sparkle, and because her special talent derived from the element of magic itself, she would house the strongest power over other ponies in Equestria.

The elements of Harmony would be the capstone to his achievements. After obtaining the Alicorn Amulet plus the magic from Twilight, Icarus thought that he would have the strength to steal their power. Together, they had been used to save Equestria several times, so they were definitely something special.

That was his plan. To remain undetected as he got stronger and stronger until he could force his way to Celestia. He knew that if he was found out he wouldn't be able to surprise Celestia, which would keep him from getting the upper hoof.

Unfortunately, Icarus was still unsure about his starting point. He couldn't figure out where or how to find Discord. He then thought back about how Twilight and the others had reformed him. Perhaps they could provide him with the lead he needed. Icarus nodded to himself, satisfied.

He returned the cases to their spot on the floor, then made his way to the office door. As he reached for the doorknob, his stomach turned and cramped painfully. Icarus clutched his belly and fell to the ground. He needed food. Trying to travel the dozens of miles to Ponyville in a state like this would be suicide.

He looked at the hospital diagram that was attached to the wall next to the door. He scanned it, looking for a cafeteria or some other source of where food could be found. He noticed a room labeled as the kitchen that was conveniently located on the same floor. Icarus memorized the location and slipped out of the office, back into the dim hallways of the hospital.

As he made his way to the kitchen, he heard the muffled voices of what he believed to be guards from downstairs.

"Listen captain, something is off tonight. First, Preston is missing from his post, and he never goes AWOL. Next, we have been having power surges throughout the hospital. Some of the guards swear that they have seen somepony else in the halls as well. They're all anxious and would like to be paired up for safety."

Icarus could hear a gruff-voiced pony respond. "Listen, unless we have any solid evidence that any of the patients have gotten loose or somepony dangerous is on the premises, I don't want to hear it. Tell the guards to get over it. Just because they think a ghost is stalking them doesn't mean that one actually is. Now leave me be unless you have a _real_ problem to report."

"Y... yes sir."

Good. They hadn't discovered the mess in the lobby... yet. Hopefully he could escape before the guards found it, but it wasn't likely. He quickened his pace towards the kitchen at the thought of a security lockdown. He needed to get out soon.

* * *

Rainbow was the first to attack. She rushed Icarus to hit him with the same uppercut she had landed earlier. He sidestepped the punch, missing the strike by inches. Icarus smirked, then quickly ducked under a strong buck from Applejack.

Their assault was ferocious. Icarus was dodging them, but he was not given a window to retaliate. He stumbled on a rock as he jumped back from one of Rainbow's jabs, giving her the chance to smack Icarus in the head a couple times before withdrawing.

He shook his head to clear his mind and focus, but was suddenly bucked hard in his side by Applejack. Icarus was sent into the air. He heard Rainbow rush in to capitalize on his vulnerable state. At the last second, he managed to twist out of her way and grab her wing. Using his momentum from the mid-air spin, Icarus hurled Rainbow into the ground below.

Before he hit the ground, an apple was pelted into his face. He landed on his back, disoriented. His upper lip had been busted by the apple, filling his mouth with the familiar taste of blood. As he rolled onto his hooves, he noticed Applejack help Rainbow Dash up, both glaring at him angrily.

This time it was Icarus who attacked. As he approached Applejack, she made a sudden swipe for his legs to trip him over. He jumped over her counter and rammed into her using the full weight of his body. She was propelled into a building behind her with a solid thud.

Without warning, Icarus was snatched into the air and, before he knew it, was being rushed towards the ground at dangerously high speeds by Rainbow Dash. She released him and leveled out safely, but Icarus wasn't quite as lucky. He tucked his head into his chest and covered the back of his head with his front legs. The hard earth met his body without yield. As he pummeled into it, he felt a sharp pain snap in his front left hoof, followed by a sickening crunching noise.

Icarus moaned and tried to get up, but his broken leg was too stiff to stand properly. He grimaced at the pain, but forced himself to stand. He couldn't give in. Not yet. Not ever. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were approaching him with snug expressions on their faces. At this rate, Icarus would be beaten to a pulp. He couldn't fend off them both in his current state, but also couldn't admit defeat.

Icarus instantly became flooded with passion. Rage. These two mares could not even begin to understand what he had been through to be here, and they thought they could take all that away? They were humiliating him, hurting him. Why did he have to take all this punishment? Icarus felt the pull of revenge overtake him. This thirst for vengeance boiled over until he could not contain it any longer. The energy contained inside Icarus burst forth, surrounding him with its deep red aura. He could feel his magic strengthen him. The pain in his leg was nullified from this adrenaline-like state.

He lunged at Rainbow, who was taken by surprise with this newly acquired swiftness. Icarus smashed the top of her head with his good leg, then opened his mouth. He channeled his newfound strength into the back of his throat, then unleashed a blinding red beam of power on Rainbow Dash from his mouth. It swallowed her instantly, and engulfed anything nearby due to its massive size. The only sound that could be heard over the sheer force of Icarus' wrath was the screaming of Rainbow Dash.

The force of the blast had knocked Applejack off her hooves. She squirmed on the ground while it pushed her further and further back until she was shoved up against one of the buildings.

The immense power began to fade from Icarus. He ended his radiant beam and looked with astonishment at the destruction before him. Any buildings that had been in the path of his magic had been completely obliterated. What lay before him was the charred wasteland of what used to be Ponyville square.

Amidst the destruction, a crumpled Pegasus lay stifled on the ground. Her breathing was in quick short bursts. Her once beautiful sky blue coat was now a grotesque gray, scorched from head to hoof. Her mane no longer existed. It had been utterly blown away by Icarus, and what remained of her tail was a darker shade of gray than her body.

Applejack was dumbstruck. Her jaw dropped as she gawked at what remained of her friend. She could not bring herself to understand what happened. Her friend was barely clinging to life and the shock Applejack was seized by wouldn't allow her to move. So there she stood, staring.

The adrenaline fading from him, Icarus felt the pain in his broken leg throb. He knew his work here was done. The Everfree Forest was his last stop before Celestia, but he needed his leg healed. It felt broken in many spots, so it would take longer to heal than his jaw did. He cast a complex spell to start mending his leg, then hobbled off towards the Everfree Forest.

_~Meanwhile~_

Earth shook below Rarity as she navigated her way through the Everfree. It felt as if it was coming from Ponyville. What in Equestria was going on there? She was curious, but she needed to find the Alicorn Amulet. Twilight had told her to find it, so find it she would, and besides, Rarity felt like she was getting close.

She walked into a clearing that had drawn her there. The clearing was made up of a small crater in the middle and a stream that ran past it. Rarity steered clear of the crater to keep her hooves from getting dirty, but it appeared that what she sensed was coming from it.

Deciding to wash her hooves after this whole ordeal was over, Rarity reluctantly walked into the center of the crater. The dirt there was loose, so Rarity pawed it with her hoof to see if anything had been beneath. She struck something firm, so she quickly excavated what she had found. It was a small wooden chest covered in dirt. She opened it and gasped at the sight of the Alicorn Amulet that rested at the bottom.

It was no longer red, rather, the gem had become a deep purple hue. The purple would go perfectly with her mane and tail...

"No!" Rarity emphasized to herself. "I won't wear it, no matter how beautiful I would look! But still, it is a shame to put away such a magnificent piece of jewelry..."

Rarity stared at the amulet hungrily. It almost seemed meant for her. She could appreciate it for its elegance, not for the energy it contained. Maybe it would be ok if she only wore it until she reached Ponyville. She snatched it from the box and lifted it to her neck.

An abrupt rustling in the bushes stopped Rarity only inches before equipping the Alicorn Amulet. A stallion limped into the clearing, his head looking at the ground. He took a couple steps before he noticed Rarity, freezing in his tracks. He examined Rarity, and she, him. He was a charcoal grey pony with wings and a horn. His mane and tail were both jet black and his eyes were blue. He also had a peculiar mark on his front leg. He was also having trouble walking as if he had been injured in one of his front legs.

Before Rarity could ask who he was or what he was doing there, he spoke up.

"Don't wear that."

He then continued on his way towards the heart of the Everfree Forest. Rarity watched him go without saying anything. She didn't want to bother him. She had also found what she was looking for, so she started back toward Ponyville. She began to think about the amulet again. What foolishness! Was she really about to wear the Alicorn Amulet, even after she knew what it did to the wearer? She couldn't figure out why she thought that was a good idea as she neared the opening between the Everfree Forest and Ponyville.

* * *

Eve watched Rarity and Icarus go their separate ways. She sat in a tree that was overhanging the opening that Icarus had used as his refuge. After all these weeks of his traveling, Icarus was almost done with his journey. She had been following him for the past few days, aiding him without his knowledge. She thought about back in Zecora's hut when she shifted the light in the room to make the trip wires visible to Icarus, allowing him to steal the Alicorn Amulet safely, and also when she helped him overcome the oppressive emotions that plagued the Alicorn Amulet.

She also chuckled to herself when she thought about how she had come back to the hut a couple days later, activating all the traps and leaving the door open. Icarus had done well to remain undetected, but she wanted to test him to see how sharp he was. After watching his fight between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, she decided that he was ready. She watched him advance toward the heart of the Everfree Forest and toward the Tree of Harmony, ready to finish what she had started.


	9. Chapter 9: No Place to Run

Chapter 9: No Place to Run

Icarus sank his teeth into one of the juicy apples that lay before him. Finding the kitchen had been easy, as well as the fresh food stored there. The crate of apples were labeled from the Sweet Apple Acres Farm, so Icarus figured they would be untainted by any of the doctors' drugs. He spent the next several minutes munching on apple after apple until he was satisfied.

His stomach filled, he left the kitchen and headed toward the stairs. Icarus knew it would be best if he made his getaway before the carnage in the lobby was found. It had been a miracle that it was still undetected, and Icarus was thankful for that.

As if to rupture Icarus' bubble of comfort, an alarm sounded in the hallway, followed by a gruff voice over the hospital intercom.

"Attention all security guards! Report to the ground lobby immediately! No exceptions!"

They had found it. Icarus was hit by a wave a realization at the thought. Escape now would be near impossible.

"No," he whispered to himself. "I will make it out. I will not give up."

Icarus needed another escape plan. With the guards gathering in the lobby, that would no longer be a viable choice. His mind raced for another possibility.

"Hey you!"

Icarus turned around and gasped at the sight of the two guards running toward him. He broke into a sprint and made a dash for the stairs. They were just around the corner and he thought he might be able to lose them in the stairwell.

"Stop!" he heard one of them exclaim as they took chase.

He focused on his running speed with all his might, determined not to be apprehended. His hooves thrust against the floor as he heard the guards pursue him. He turned the corner. The stairs were right there, unguarded. Slightly relieved, he threw open the door to make his disappearance.

Unfortunately, a group of guards were going down the stairs just as Icarus had entered the stairwell. They turned and looked at him, wide eyed.

"Stop him!" shouted the guards behind Icarus. The guards in the stairwell regained their senses and lunged at Icarus almost simultaneously.

He fiercely shoved one of the guards out of the way and sprinted up the stairs, the guards scrambling after him. Up the stairs he bolted. The security ponies never ceased their barrage of threats if he didn't submit to them at once.

The stairs continued to spiral upwards as they all approached the end of the path. Icarus slammed into the door at the top and found himself on the roof of the hospital. The guards filed through the open doorway and formed a semicircle around Icarus. He backed away from their advance.

The night sky was lifeless and dark due to the fact that the moon was not visible through the thick clouds gathered above. The building rumbled at the thunder. Drops of rain began to fall shortly after. It all happened rather suddenly.

Icarus was making quick glances to the enclosing guards. His hoof slipped on the edge of the building, but he managed to regain his balance before he fell.

"Surrender yourself!" beckoned one of the guards. "There's no place for you to run!" His voice was slightly subdued in the steady rain.

He was right. As Icarus looked at the drop behind him, he realized the truth of the predicament he was in. The fall would kill him instantly, and there didn't seem to be anything between him and the hard ground to break his decent. He hung his head in defeat.

"I... No!" Icarus shouted. "I am _not_ giving up! I would sooner jump into the abyss behind me than go back with _you_!"

Icarus scooted to the very edge of the ledge as they continued closer. He wasn't bluffing. Adrenaline filled his bones, causing him to tremble in the pouring rain.

An idea struck Icarus as the closest guard reached out to grab him. Icarus seized his leg and spun around, using the water on the ground to better his momentum. After a full rotation, Icarus released the guard into the right side of the semicircle that the guards had made. In the split second of disorganization amongst them, Icarus leapt over the entangled bodies and headed to the open door.

As soon as he thought he would make it, a guard rammed into his side, causing him to slide away from the doorway. At this point, the squad had regained their senses and had surrounded Icarus again.

A flash lightning appeared and disappeared abruptly. Icarus' eyes widened as he noticed that Eve had shown herself upon the rooftop with them. In another burst of light, she was gone, and all the guards around him had been knocked unconscious and lay on the ground.

The falling rain that pelted Icarus was cold. A gust of wind blew around him, making him shiver. Eve had helped him, and he was grateful, but he only wished he could have asked her why she wanted him. He had learned more about her and wanted to know how he had been an accomplice with her before he had been taken here.

Icarus walked through the doorway into the hospital stairwell. He was finished. He had information, a plan, a full stomach, and a motive. He was ready to depart from this hospital forever.

* * *

Icarus hobbled his way through the Everfree Forest. The dense trees seemed to endlessly surround him. He knew the Tree of Harmony was deep inside it, but he didn't think it would be _this_ deep. He continued onward.

His mind shifted to think about what he had done in Ponyville. He thought about how cruel he had been to Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy, and, most of all, Rainbow Dash. He shuddered at the thought of her nearly lifeless body gasping for air as it lay crumpled in the remains of the square.

Icarus hadn't planned on hurting her that severely, but his anger had gotten the better of him. He needed to control his emotions. They made him act reckless and harsh without restraint.

He remembered the surprised expression that had been frozen on Twilight's face when she had been trapped in ice. Although she couldn't move, Icarus knew she had been analyzing him, trying to come up with a way to free herself and fight back. He was fortunate to have fled Ponyville before she thawed out.

The trees were beginning to thin out. A couple minutes later, he was standing in a large opening of the Everfree Forest. To his right was a canyon that had stairs leading to its base. The Tree of Harmony was supposed to be at the mouth of a cave somewhere near here in the base of the canyon.

Icarus thought about Rarity as he descended the stairs. If he had found her only seconds later, she would have been corrupted from the Alicorn Amulet. He knew she would have been tempted by it, so he wanted to stop her. Perhaps he felt obligated to help because of what he had done only minutes before.

He reached the bottom of the canyon and began to follow the traces of magical energy he felt guide him. His broken leg was in less pain now due to the healing spell he conjured up after his battle with Dash and Applejack. Hopefully it would be good as new by the time his business here was finished.

Icarus turned a corner in the canyon. He noticed a faint light resonate from an opening in the wall up ahead. He increased his pace. Shortly after, he was gazing into the mouth of the cave.

The Tree of Harmony lit up the area as dusk began to set its shadows within the canyon walls. Icarus noticed five large branches that extended from the tree which held five of the Elements of Harmony, as well as the central trunk that contained the most powerful one of all.

Dusk had begun to extend its shadows over the canyon walls. He had hoped to be done by now, but he could delay his assault on Canterlot another day if it was necessary.

Icarus carefully removed the first five stones from their sockets in the tree. One by one, he drained them of their power. It got progressively easier with each one. Lastly, he removed the element of magic and took its power, although it was significantly more difficult than the others.

Icarus looked at the powerless elements that lay piled at the base of the tree. They had lost their glow, as well as their traces of magical strength. He turned to leave, but a voice caught his ears.

"Yes, I'm sure!" It was Rarity. "After only speaking a few words to me, he just stumbled into the forest in this direction. I had no idea what he had done however, so I made no effort to stop him."

Twilight spoke next. "We need to be extremely careful around him. I don't know why he wasn't hostile towards you, but I'm glad you're ok. He was probably headed to the Tree of Harmony. I hope we can intercept him there."

Icarus chuckled to himself. If they found him before he left, he knew he could obliterate them after what he had just gained. But what fun would that be? Icarus enjoyed a good challenge every now and then.

Four mares entered the cave opening and glared at Icarus and the lifeless elements piled next to him. They included Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie.

"I don't want any trouble," cautioned Icarus. "I apologize for what I did to your companions in Ponyville. I lost my temper, but I can't guarantee that it won't happen again."

Twilight lost it. "Do you have _any_ idea of what you've done?! You almost killed Rainbow Dash, and we're still not sure if she will recover! Her wings were broken so badly that it will be a miracle if she ever flies again! You also terrified Fluttershy so much that after we thawed her out, we couldn't tell if she was still frozen because she was petrified from fear of you! And you expect us just to let you go?!" She was panting hard, fire in her eyes.

The others looked at the ground grimly as they reflected their friends' fates.

"Please, my matters don't concern you anymore. I don't want to hurt anyone else other than those I've targeted already. Twilight, you don't understand what I've gone through to be here. You don't know what hell I've had to escape from to finish this journey. If you were in my hooves, you would have done the same thing."

"I would never do something like that! I'm not like you! You're a monster!" Twilight retaliated.

"I supposed so, but if being a monster is what it takes to take back what has been stolen from me, I will be the most feared monster to have ever existed."

Icarus sensed the urge to take revenge flow from Twilight. Before she could do anything, he froze all their hooves to the ground to keep them from moving. He then coated his body with an anti-magic covering to protect himself from any spells Twilight might cast.

"You see, I have acquired a large sum of power in the past few weeks. Using this power, I will reclaim what has been taken from me, and nopony will stop me."

"Icarus walked past Twilight and the others.

"Wait!" she blurted. "Who are you? What is it that you lost that you so desperately crave?"

"Hmph," Icarus shrugged. "Listen carefully. I will say this only once. My name is Icarus. Only months ago I was confined in a deranged hospital that specialized in odd treatments. It was there that my memory was taken from me. I believe Celestia is responsible for my placement there, so I have been scouring the land for sources to fuel my magical abilities. Tomorrow I will find out what _really_ happened to me. So, Twilight, is that the answer you wished for?"

Twilight's expressions become somber as she heard Icarus' backstory.

"That's what I thought," finished Icarus. He left the four mares standing in the canyon as he made his way toward Canterlot, the moon in the night sky illuminating the path for him.


	10. Chapter 10: The Assault

Chapter 10: The Assault

**A/N:** This chapter will contain the final flashback in the story.

* * *

The mighty echo of the thunder's roar made the hospital tremble under Icarus' soaked hooves. The storm raged on outside as he worked his way down the stairs. The only thing that lay before him in the hospital was the lobby and any guards that may have gathered there. The storm was ill-timed for escape, but Icarus had no choice but to flee.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, but he didn't enter the lobby. Instead, he opened the closet door that was there and pulled out the security guard he had knocked unconscious earlier; Preston was his name. He was an ugly brown color whose build similarly resembled that of Icarus'. Icarus silently equipped the security uniform and left Preston laying in the middle of the floor. Hopefully, any guards that saw Icarus suited like this would give him minimal attention.

He took a deep breath, then opened the door and entered the lobby. The first thing he noticed was the trail of bloody hoof prints that led to where he stood. They were his, he knew, but he couldn't help but feel slightly haunted at the sight of them.

Icarus turned his attention to the group of guards that surrounded the crimson doctor corpses. They seemed too occupied to notice his entry. He then looked at the exit. It was unguarded.

Just then, a large intimidating guard entered the lobby. He appeared to be the captain. Unlike his subordinates, he retained a sharp and fierce expression. He didn't appear fazed by the recent events. He spoke up in his gruff voice.

"Fall into formation!"

In a moment's notice, all the guards were standing in front of him. Icarus had joined them as well. If he had an open opportunity he would make a break for the door, but that moment had yet to present itself to him.

The captain observed the group with narrow eyes. They were all obviously shocked, confused, or downright terrified. That is, all except Icarus. The fire in his eyes spoke how he felt. The captain addressed him directly.

"Speak soldier, your name."

Icarus had been thinking of a false name in case something like this came up.

"Rocky, sir," he replied. "Officer Rocky."

"Rocky, huh?" questioned the captain. "I don't recall that name."

"I am a recent transfer from Canterlot," lied Icarus.

The captain grew suspicious. "Celestia hasn't sent any transfers in months."

This caught Icarus off guard, but confirmed his suspicions about Celestia even further.

"Actually, I'm a transfer to the hospital itself, not the night guard. I had extra work to do this evening, but I finished and was on my way home when I heard all the commotion down here."

"I see." The captain looked at his guards again. "Seize him," he said casually.

In the brief instance that it took the guards to comprehend what the captain's orders were, Icarus had bolted towards the exit. He heard shouts emanate from the guards behind him, similarly to those the guards that had chased him to the roof had said. He threw open the exit door just as the sound of booming thunder caught his ears.

Icarus hesitated for a moment, but decided that making his way through the pouring thunderstorm was a better alternative than being captured and held prisoner or worse. He scurried out the door, becoming soaked almost instantly from the heavy rain. The guards stopped at the edge of the hospital lobby, refusing to pursue him into the storm.

As Icarus made his way away from the hospital through the terrible rain, he gazed back one last time at the hospital. A flash of lightning allowed him to see it with clarity, as well as its title, plastered atop the structure: Eden Hospital for Curious Cases.

* * *

All was calm in the city of Canterlot. The ponies were all going about their daily business. Some were attending shops, while others were shopping and doing chores. The warm rays of the sun beamed onto the residents. It was truly a peaceful day.

In the blink of an eye, a bright light flashed and vanished in the middle of the city, leaving a lone pony standing there. Smoke rose into the air from where he stood. There was a pause from both the Canterlot citizens and the charcoal grey pony alike. He then smiled. It was a deep broad grin, but he refrained from making himself look deranged.

He lifted his hoof high into the air, and upon it a large fireball burst into life. He thrust it at the nearest building. The flames exploded and engulfed it in seconds. Screams began to sound from those who were witnessing the wreckage as they began to flee from the site. Icarus turned and faced towards the Canterlot castle.

"This is it," he thought to himself.

"You there! Stop!" A group of armed sentries approached Icarus from the direction of the castle. They lowered their spears toward Icarus. "Surrender yourself!" one called. "You're clearly outnumbered!"

Icarus chuckled to himself. "And you're clearly outmatched." He pounded the ground with his hoof, causing the sentries to sink into the dirt as if it was sinking sand. At the last moment, they stopped sinking, leaving only their heads exposed above the ground. They struggled to free themselves, but Icarus hardened the earth around them using his power to keep them trapped.

He headed towards the castle. There was someone he needed to see before he stormed the castle. Icarus halted in front of a familiar hut he had visited only days ago. He found it interesting that it was his starting point, as well as one of his final destinations. As he approached it, the door opened and Discord waltzed into the open.

"I do say, I love what you have done to Canterlot. The chaos that you've rallied up is truly marvelous!" praised Discord. "I see you've also returned to honor our agreement I presume."

"I have indeed returned," confirmed Icarus. "However, there is something you should know. During my travels, I have acquired strong power. In doing so, I have come to the conclusion that I can fulfill my quest without you."

"Oh, I don't think that's how it works," replied Discord. "You see, I loaned you your initial power, which means you owe me. There is no way that you could possibly have surpassed and beaten a chaos god at his own game."

"There is something you fail to realize, Discord. I have acquired my power from various sources. These sources include all six of the Elements of Harmony!"

Discord looked horrified. "You... You're bluffing!" he stuttered.

Icarus thrust his hoof towards Discord; A rainbow beam launched out of it and struck him, turning his body to stone.

"Traitor!" screamed Discord as his neck and head were turned to stone as well.

Icarus sighed, then turned back to face the castle. More sentries were coming from it and headed his way. The drawbridge to the castle was raising as well. As the sentries neared, he fired a large beam of sub-zero temperatures at them, freezing them mid-step.

He snickered to himself at the thought of how easy this all was. Canterlot was not prepared for any sort of worthy adversary, and Icarus more than met the requirements for that. He passed the frozen sentries and stopped in front of the castle's withdrawn drawbridge.

Did they really think they could protect themselves just by blocking the entrance? Icarus knew he could easily bust his way in, then it occurred to him that it could be a trap. The bridge might be enchanted to backfire any spells cast on it.

Icarus looked down at the moat that separated him from the castle. An idea hit him. He froze the surface of the water in a path-like fashion that led to the drawbridge. The icy path he formed chilled his hooves as he walked across it, but it was only a minor annoyance. When he reached the bridge, he shoved his hoof against the solid wood.

Icarus brought forth a powerful fire orb like the one he had first used when he entered Canterlot, but this time, he materialized it inside the drawbridge, which shattered a large hole into the bottom of the bridge. He hopped through the gaping hole, but a squad of sentries were stationed there, all of which were pointing their spears and various other pointy weapons at him.

A loud click resonated in the hall, followed by the whistling of something sailing through the air. Behind the sentries, a guard had fired a ballista bolt at Icarus.

Realizing the approaching danger, Icarus pounded the floor with his hoof, causing a wall to protrude from the ground in the path of the bolt, which impaled into the wall with a heavy thump. A couple of the sentries thrust their spears at Icarus, but he expanded the width of the wall so it would catch them as well.

The wall was perfectly in between Icarus and the sentries, obstructing him from their sight. He made himself invisible and discreetly passed the sentries, who still thought he was behind his protective wall.

The throne room was directly behind the ballista. Icarus hoped that Celestia hadn't fled, not yet at least. He couldn't give a care in the Equestria about what happened to her after he got his answers. As he entered the throne room, he pounded his hoof on the ground one final time. Another wall protruded behind him and filled the opening into the throne room, sealing Icarus inside.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you are enjoying the story so far! The next chapter will hopefully answer the majority of your questions as we are nearing the end of our journey. I plan on posting ~3 more chapters to wrap everything up, so stay tuned and let me know what you think!


	11. Chapter 11: A Dire Decision

Chapter 11: A Dire Decision

Icarus took a moment to relax, become visible again, and evaluate the throne room. It was incredibly tall, with stained windows that lined the walls. It was also very long. From the entrance, it was around one hundred paces forward to reach the throne.

Icarus feasted his eyes upon the princess with the flowing rainbow mane who sat upon the throne. Her face calm, her stature unchanging. She gracefully stepped down from her throne and approached him. Each click of one of her hooves against the tile floor echoed inside the massive room.

Celestia stopped a couple paces from Icarus. Her face was straight while she stared at him with unblinking eyes.

"Hello Icarus." Her voice was soft.

"I... I have finally found you. What seemed like only an unreachable dream only a couple weeks ago has become a reality. Tell me Celestia, were you expecting me?"

"I have been for quite some time. After you fled from Eden it only made sense that you would seek out why you ended up there, and I, being the one responsible for it, thought you would find your way here."

Icarus narrowed his eyes. If Celestia had been waiting for him, then she must have known about the powers he acquired during his journey. He didn't have any secrets or surprises that he could use to his advantage.

"Since you know why I am here, will you answer my questions willingly and with the utmost truth?"

"I will"

Icarus gathered his thoughts. His first question was the most obvious.

"Who am I, and why did I end up in Eden Hospital?"

Celestia nodded. "A couple decades ago an abandoned Pegasus was found on the outskirts of Equestria. Nopony knew who he was or who left him there, but he was taken in and cared for in an isolated town on the coast of the land. His charcoal grey body and jet black mane made him a distinct individual there. As he grew up, he became quite clever, using his wits and tongue to avoid too much trouble and to manipulate others. His name was Icarus."

Celestia paused for a moment so Icarus could take it in, then continued.

"As a colt, Icarus was constantly struggling with the thought of abandonment. He never knew either of his parents, and this disturbed him until he couldn't deal with the pain anymore. One day Icarus snapped. He simply couldn't cope with it. He had persuaded a mare by the name of Eve to join him in a crusade for revenge."

"Revenge for what?" Icarus interjected. "Why would he want to hurt anyone just because he didn't know his parents?"

"He didn't think it was fair for him to live with this pain while others went on with happier lives because of opportunities he never had. He wanted others to know what he felt."

Celestia turned away from Icarus. "From there, things turned for the worst. Icarus and Eve somehow acquired magic, although I'm still not sure how. Anyways, the pair began attacking and destroying cities. They killed hundreds of the citizens that lived on the outskirts of Equestria. I tried to keep the news to a minimum to keep anyone from getting anxious, but eventually I knew I needed to stop them myself. I managed to intercept Icarus and Eve before one of their attacks. They didn't know it, but I had brought the Elements of Harmony with me, which allowed me to capture Eve with relative ease. Icarus fled, abandoning his companion."

"I suppose that's when you sent Eve to Eden, right?" questioned Icarus. "I read in a report that she arrived and escaped before I ended up there."

"Yes," Celestia soothingly responded. Her demeanor had remained unchanging during her explanation of the story. "The doctors I had assigned to deal with her were incompetent, which give Eve a chance to escape. After you were captured shortly after, the doctors took better care not to mess up again."

From there Icarus knew the rest such as his surgery and escape.

"So, Icarus, that is who you are."

"No," Icarus responded coldly. "Not anymore. That was who I used to be. Those matters no longer concern me."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then who have you become?"

Icarus took a moment to formulate his response. After leaving his past he didn't know what to think or how to feel. He had murdered hundreds of innocent citizens in his jealousy. How could he redeem himself from that?

"I used to be motivated by my self-righteous hatred. That isn't me anymore. In fact, I resent the thought of doing that to innocents. I don't want to hurt anypony ever again without good reason. No, until now I only wanted to discover the truth and have my revenge on who put me in Eden, but I've finally found something else I want."

Celestia's face softened. "Icarus, you need to listen to me. If you continue down this path it will only lead to your destruction. You need to-"

The wall Icarus had summoned behind him began to rumble, stopping Celestia's words. Icarus remained planted to where he stood. Should the wall fall towards him he could easily keep himself from being crushed. The bottom of the wall began to crack, causing it to lean towards Icarus and Celestia.

Icarus clicked his front hooves together. A spherical shield surrounded both him and Celestia from the descending wall. It smacked into the shield, crumbling into pieces. Debris from its remains filled the air, making it difficult to see the entrance.

Icarus lowered the shield. The dust in the air filled his lungs, which made him cough for a couple seconds to clear his throat. Celestia hadn't moved. She was scanning the entrance through the rubble.

Icarus then noticed the silhouette of a pony walking into the room. As the dust finally cleared, Icarus saw who it was: Eve. Her dark body was difficult to distinguish from her silhouette. Their resemblance was uncanny.

She walked up to Icarus and stood next to him. "Hello Icarus. Quite a bit has happened since you last saw me, but I have decided that now is the best time to return to you."

Icarus nodded his head. "Thank you."

They looked back at Celestia. Her face had hardened at the appearance of Eve.

"And hello to you, _Celestia_," Eve mocked.

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "I take it you're here to help Icarus eliminate me."

"That's right! Eve grinned wide as one of her eyes twitched. She turned to Icarus. "Icarus, together we can rule this land. Celestia can't even hope to defeat us."

Icarus let out a sigh. "Something has been on my mind since that night in Eden. Tell me, Eve, were you the one responsible for the carnage I witnessed there?"

"Carnage? Whatever are you talking about?"

"Hmph, never mind."

Celestia spoke up. "Icarus, before you do anything rash, just hear me out. Think about what I just told you. Think about what you just told me. You're not the same pony you were back then. I thought you told me you wanted something else, that you didn't want to hurt others anymore..."

"Go on," responded Icarus.

"If you join me in the Canterlot castle, we can make Equestria a better place. You can right your wrongs and be at peace with yourself."

"Wait just a minute," interrupted Eve. "Icarus, you aren't seriously thinking about abandoning your partner for some noble expedition, are you? That's not like you..."

Celestia had had enough. Her aura around her horn began to glow.

Eve was still ranting to Icarus when she was suddenly slathered with a sticky green substance. It pinned her to the ground and its scent wafted into the air. The smell of decaying roses filled Icarus' nostrils.

His eyes widened at the stench. He recognized it from when he was in Zecora's hut as she was working on her brew. So this was what she had been concocting...

"What have you done to me?!" Eve struggled to free herself from the sludge, but it clung to her like a tick.

"I had Zecora create this mixture for me in anticipation for something like this," said Celestia. "It won't hurt you, but it restricts the use of magic to whoever is touching it."

Icarus looked up. Above Eve and him was a balcony. Upon it rested a cauldron that was tipped over the edge in the direction of Eve.

"So that's where it fell from..." thought Icarus.

Eve was writhing on the floor. She desperately looked at Icarus for escape. "I need your help!" she exclaimed. "Please! Together we can take Equestria for ourselves, but we need each other!"

Before Icarus could respond, Celestia interrupted. "I thought you had changed, Icarus. If you truly believe that then you won't go back to your past ways with Eve."

Icarus closed his eyes and focused on his choices. He could either rescue Eve and purge Equestria of its current rulers, or he could side with Celestia, which would result in Eve's capture. He began to think about who he was, who he used to be, and what he had gone through.

But what did he want? He already had power and the information he wanted. Was he really so selfish to consider abandoning Eve, the one who had given him the opportunity to escape Eden?

Icarus then pondered Celestia's offer. Perhaps working with her to make Equestria a more peaceful place to live was his way of clearing his conscience.

Icarus opened his eyes. "I know what I need to do."

* * *

**A/N:** Don't you just love cliffhangers" There is a specific reason I ended the chapter here (other than to keep you on your toes), so I guess you'll just have to wait until next time to find out! _~ Kalameet_


	12. Alternative Ending 1: A Change in Power

**A/N:** Surprise! I wanted to make two chapters that followed Icarus with both of his choices. Keep in mind that this is not the true ending. It is simply an alternative option to what really happens. _~Kalameet_

* * *

Alternative Ending 1: A Change of Power

Icarus glared at Celestia through his narrowed eyes. He remembered why he had first started his journey. It wasn't only to recover his memory, but it was also to have revenge on the one who put him in Eden: Celestia.

He turned back to Eve who had stopped struggling on the floor.

"Eve, we have been partners since before I can remember. We were also friends. Unfortunately, I abandoned you when you needed me most, and I'm very, very sorry for what I did. I don't expect you to forgive me for it, but I hope I can regain your loyalty."

Icarus froze the slime that surrounded Eve, making it brittle. He thrust his front hoof into it, shattering the crystallized goo and freeing Eve.

"Thank you," came Eve.

Celestia was backing away slowly. A tremor was visible in one of her legs. She never took her eyes off Icarus and Eve.

"Luna!" she exclaimed. Celestia turned back towards the throne. "Luna, I need you! Please hur-"

She was abruptly cut off when a bright green orb struck her and dropped her to the floor.

Eve smirked and lowered her hoof just as Luna staggered into the room near the throne.

"Sister? What appears to be-? _Celestia_!" She shrieked. Luna raced down the room towards her sister's unmoving body.

Icarus stepped in between Celestia and Luna as she approached him and Eve.

"You will not get away with this!" cried Luna, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. She fired a navy blue magic pulse at Icarus, who easily deflected it with a simple wave of his hoof. Again and again she launched attacks on Icarus, and again and again he protected himself with ease.

"Enough!" shouted Icarus. He clicked his front hooves together, then thrust them forcefully towards Luna. A string of fire lashed at and surrounded her in a sphere of heat. She swiped at the fire, but its severe heat scorched her in doing so. It then began to close in on Luna, who was becoming frantic.

"Please stop!" she sobbed. "Why? Why are you doing this to us?"

"Why?" mocked Icarus. "Because fuck you, that's why."

Luna's sobs turned to shrieks of agony as the flames began to sear her hide. Icarus increased the inferno's heat, turning the sphere of fire blue. The hall echoed with an awful blood-curdling scream.

Icarus waited until the only sound he heard came from the crackling of the flames, then ended his spell. He gazed down at Luna's corpse with disgust. Her outer skin had been completely burnt off. Patches of inner flesh had also been cooked through, revealing her exposed lifeless muscle. She wasn't even remotely recognizable.

Icarus looked back at Eve who was approaching Celestia with a spear she had acquired. Celestia managed to open her eyes, but she lacked the strength to do anything else. Eve hoisted the spear high above her head.

"Goodbye, Celestia," she grinned.

"Eve, stop," declared Icarus.

Eve paused. "What is it? Don't tell me you actually want her to _live_, do you?"

"No. I want to do it myself." Icarus pointed at the spear Eve was wielding.

"Fine."

Eve handed Icarus the spear and took a couple steps back to give him space. Icarus took a deep breath and proceeded to walk towards Celestia. Her shining eyes were wide as he reached her. A lone tear rolled down her cheek.

Icarus stared at Celestia with hard eyes. Finally, the time had come for revenge. He clenched the spear in his jaws firmly and drove the sharp metal tip into Celestia's chest. He jerked the weapon free and thrust it into her body again. He did it again and again. At last, Icarus completed the job by shoving the spear into the center of her forehead, causing the spear to penetrate Celestia's skull and protrude out from under her jaw.

Icarus released the spear shaft and looked down at the bloody mess before him similarly like what he had done to Luna. Celestia had several holes punched in her chest that gushed out the blood that once gave her life. It slid along the ground soundlessly, forming a pool around the butchered princess.

He was finished. As the stench of blood, burnt flesh, and decaying roses filled his nostrils, Icarus closed his eyes and reflected on everything that had happened which led to this moment. Eden, power, deception, he pondered them all. The journey had been long and difficult, but it was finally over. Icarus and Eve were victorious. Speaking of which, where had the aphotic mare run off to?

Icarus was about to look behind him to see where she had gone when he felt the icy metal of a sword's blade slice into his right shoulder. He let out a scream at the sudden pain. The sword lodged itself deep in his muscle, stuck between two of his shoulder bones.

Eve walked in front of Icarus, watching him with unblinking eyes and a straight face.

The agonizing wound got the better of Icarus. He fell to the floor, taking short breaths.

"Eve... Why?"

"Oh, that's right. I forgot to show you something," said Eve plainly. Her skin began to shift peculiarly, altering its color from a midnight black to a deep green. Insect wings sprouted from her back as she grew a couple inches taller. She wasn't Eve, rather, she was the Changling Queen Amber.

Icarus wasn't strong enough to gasp at the surprise, but his eyes widened. Between his shock and bloody shoulder, he was having trouble formulating a response.

"But if you're Amber, then where is Eve?" Icarus managed to ask.

"Ah, Eve..." Amber pondered. "I haven't the slightest clue where she is, but she's my next target. Let me tell you something, Icarus. During your rampage before Eden, you not only attacked towns in Equestria, but you also attacked Changling hives as well. You killed my subjects by the hundreds. We all lived in fear of you, but when you were finally stopped we all took a sigh of relief. I began thinking about how I could have vengeance for what had happened. Somehow you conveniently stumbled into my domain, which I found most beneficial. After you told me your plan I decided that giving you a morph gem would be a small price to pay to have Celestia and Luna eliminated while I took the throne. And you, Icarus, would finally be slain by who you thought was your ally: Eve. Since you had no memory of your past, I knew you didn't plan to turn on us Changlings. You were too determined to take down Celestia, so I decided to play along."

Icarus couldn't feel his front legs anymore. He had lost too much blood and was weak, barely being able to keep his eyes open. He watched Amber yank the crimson spear out of Celestia's skull and approach him with it.

"And now here you are, defeated and hanging on the brink of death. I have been awaiting this moment, and now that it's finally here I can barely contain my excitement! But before you die, let me ask you something. Were your actions justified? Did you really do the right thing even if I was actually Eve? Think about them for a moment."

Had it been worth it? Was he at least content with the choices he had made? He had murdered his targets, so why didn't he feel accomplished before his life ended? Perhaps violence only leads to more strife for everyone, ultimately causing no satisfaction for anyone. Icarus had made the wrong choice, and because of it he would not only die, but he would die knowing the severity of his mistake and how much of a rotten life he had lived.

Amber lifted the bloodstained spear high. Icarus had accepted his fate. He tried to look away as the weapon plunged into his weak body. He could barely feel the pain, but a huge wave of exhaustion came over him instead. Icarus closed his eyes, beginning his eternal slumber.

Amber let out a maniacal laugh. "I have won! I simply need to dispose of Celestia's body and change myself to look like her. Equestria is mine!"

And from that moment on, the residents of Equestria entered a new age. One in which Luna had been killed by the mad pony Icarus, how Celestia had barely managed to survive. However, the Equestrians weren't aware that the acting Celestia was actually Amber, which gave her absolute power. It was an age of deception, and nopony even knew.

_~The End~_

* * *

**Outro Song:** _Icarus_- Bastille

* * *

**A/N: **I have really been anticipating this ending for quite a while. I hope the twist caught you off guard! I would have probably just ended the story here if I didn't feel like the true ending was any good, but I enjoy a happy ending rather than a morbid one, so this chapter is one to appeal to the latter of those two kinds of people. Anyways, let me know what you thought and stay tuned for next week's chapter! _~Kalameet_


	13. Alternative Ending 2: Redemption

Alternative Ending 2: Redemption

Celestia and Eve both looked at Icarus with anxious eyes. Their reliance on his choice would be the deciding factor on which of them would prevail. Icarus turned to Celestia.

"I told myself I would stop at nothing to destroy you, but here I am at the crossroad between good and evil. I know that helping Eve destroy you would be gratifying at the moment, but shortly after I would continue to search for such satisfaction where none exists. My conscience would never be clear again if I killed the Equestrian's beloved princess. No, instead I want to repay this land for all the hardship I caused."

Icarus then addressed Eve. "I'm sorry Eve, but I can't go back to who I was. I have changed. Your old partner doesn't exist anymore."

Eve gasped. "You can stop joking now! This isn't funny!" she exclaimed as her voice rose.

Icarus sighed. "Celestia, what do we do with her?"

"She's too powerful to be imprisoned. She could just break out again."

"You can't just kill me!" she cried. "That's not like you, Celestia... Right? Right?" Eve's voice was becoming meek.

"What if we put her in a cell coated with the anti-magic substance?" proposed Icarus.

Celestia smiled. "That sounds like a fine idea. You're already being helpful Icarus. Keep it up and at this rate you could even hold a high status under me eventually."

Icarus suppressed a blush. "Thank you."

Eve rolled her eyes.

"I'll have Zecora brew up another concoction immediately." declared Celestia. "In the meantime, keep an eye on Eve to make sure she is secure."

Icarus nodded and let out a grunt, then sat down next to the impaired Eve as Celestia left the room.

"Icarus," whispered Eve. "You need to let me out. You're obviously not in your right mind to side with your enemy rather than your ally in a situation like this. Trust me. Would I lie to you?"

Icarus sighed. "I honestly don't know. I don't remember the depth of our relationship, so we could have not got along well and I would have no idea. I'm siding with Celestia because not only do I have the chance for redemption, but I shudder at the thought of how I would feel if we seized power. Everypony would live in fear of us. They would see us as evil tyrants, and that isn't too far off. I could never forgive myself if others were subject to pain because of me. I _have_ changed."

"You only feel that way because of how you were treated in Eden! The doctors, no Celestia is the reason you have those feelings!"

"Even so, I will follow my desires for a more peaceful life. It is a much more appealing alternative to what would happen than if I freed _you_."

Eve's skin began to shift peculiarly. Its midnight black color began to appear as a deep green in the filtered light that filled the room. Her sudden appearance change made Icarus back a couple steps away from her.

"What the...?"

The magic-suppressing slime had begun to alter Eve's appearance. Icarus wasn't sure why it was happening, but it made him curious.

"I guess the game's over..." admitted Eve.

A pair of insect wings emerged from her back and got caught in the slime surrounding them. Icarus' jaw dropped. It was the Changling Queen Amber.

"I guess it was only a matter of time until this sludge sapped the magic I was using to look like Eve. Surprise..." she said unenthusiastically.

"But... If you're Amber, then where is Eve?" he questioned.

"Beats me, she could be dead for all I know."

"Hmph," grunted Icarus. "So why? Why masquerade as Eve to help me take down Celestia?"

"I think I've already humored you enough with this little charade to keep answering your questions. This isn't an interrogation."

"I can make it one," threatened Icarus.

"I suppose so, but didn't you just tell me that you had changed, that you didn't want to hurt others anymore?" recounted Amber.

Icarus narrowed his eyes. "Whatever. At least _you_ can get to rot in the dungeons here at Canterlot."

"I won't be there too long. My subjects will come for me shortly and I'll be back home after some negotiations," chuckled Amber.

Celestia reentered the room, then looked at Amber with confusion.

"Where is Eve?"

"It turns out she was actually Amber, the Changling Queen," responded Icarus.

"Interesting..." Celestia trailed off. "Anyways, Icarus, could you repair the damage you've done to the city? After that I would like you to fix the castle. This is only the beginning of what I have in store for you."

Icarus nodded. "As you wish." He left the throne room and entered the entrance hall with all the sentries he had avoided. They had all been knocked out by Amber, but none were wounded.

He took a moment to remove the spears and ballista bolts from the wall he had conjured, then lowered the wall back into the floor, good as new.

The drawbridge still had a gaping hole near the bottom, so Icarus repaired it with ease. He then looked at the room once more. He struggled to retain a laugh at the sight of the Equestrian Guard that lay unconscious on the floor. For some reason he couldn't explain why he found it funny, but it was the first time he had laughed in quite a while.

Oh, right, the town still needed to be fixed. Icarus turned his attention to the lever that activated the drawbridge, then pulled it. As the bridge lowered, sunlight shone into the entrance of Canterlot Castle. It beamed into Icarus' face, making him squint.

The town was soon revealed behind the lowering bridge. It didn't seem too bad. While one building had been destroyed and others nearby were charred from the fire, it seemed like there wasn't anything else that needed repair.

As Icarus made his way across the bridge, he looked at his reflection in the water. It had been awhile since he had seen himself. His mane had been ruffled up; his body was filthy.

"I can't go out like this," thought Icarus. He made quick glances around him to make sure nopony would see him as he cleaned himself in the water. When he was satisfied with himself, he began to step out of the moat.

As his first leg left the water, Icarus was caught off guard at the sight. His leg was now a mellow-green color! He scurried onto the ground and reexamined himself in the reflective water.

Icarus' leg wasn't the only thing that was green; His entire body had undergone the same color change as well. It was as if by washing in the water not only was he cleansing his body of filth, but he was removing the darkness that plagued his heart, revealing the renewal in his life. This revival had been critical enough to alter his appearance.

"Hmph, I guess there still _is _some mystery to magic that I will never understand..." thought Icarus.

Not displeased with his new look, Icarus headed towards the town to help. It struck him that the citizens here wouldn't recognized him now because of his physical change. That would help.

Icarus took a breath of the fresh air that surrounded him. Relief filled him with the realization that he was free, free from pursuit or past pain. He could finally live in peace. A brief smile grazed his lips as he began a new journey to right his wrongs.

_~The End~_

* * *

**Outro Song:** _These Streets _- Bastille

* * *

**A/N: **Once again, this is not the true ending to the story. It is simply the alternative to the previous ending. I was hoping to make this one a bit more serene than the last, being quite morbid... Anyways, don't miss out on the final chapter and real ending to the story! _~ Kalameet_


	14. Chapter 12: In Remembrance of Me

Chapter 12: In Remembrance of Me

Icarus stared at the floor in silence as both Celestia and Eve watched him patiently. He had thought about both of his choices, but neither one seemed like it would fill the empty hole in his soul. They would satisfy him at the moment, but wouldn't leave him happy.

But what was it that lingered in his mind that refused to allow him peace? He couldn't remember what he had done before Eden, so any feelings of that past time were lost. However, something _did_ seem to tug at him like he'd never felt before: loneliness.

It was true; somehow the old emotions that Icarus never knew existed anymore had managed to grip him once again. Perhaps it was because Celestia had told him about his origins that revived these sensations that had once been his driving force.

"I finally understand..." muttered Icarus. "I now realize that we don't change. If we're good, then we do good things. If we're bad, then we do evil things. That is the natural order of life. Very rarely will an evil being redirect their life to be good. However, I have mixed feelings. My emotions scream to make me want others to understand how I feel, but my mind is saying to leave them alone. Logically, there is only one option to take, and it doesn't involve either of you."

"Which is...?" asked Celestia.

"I need to rid Equestria of me," declared Icarus.

Celestia nodded. "But if you leave Equestria, won't you still have the urge that drove you to madness in your past?"

Icarus smirked. "Who said I was leaving alive?"

Celestia's eyes widened, as did Eve's.

"Farewell to you, Celestia. Thank you for the truth."

Celestia nodded.

Icarus then looked at the dark mare trapped in the slime. "Goodbye _Amber_."

"What? Who's Amber?"

"There is no chance that you're Eve. When I asked you earlier about the carnage in Eden, you had no idea what I was talking about. Eve would have remembered, which leads me to believe you are one of the Changelings impersonating Eve. It would only make sense then that the Changeling Queen herself would head a mission of such importance."

Amber paused. "You're sharper than I thought."

Icarus shrugged. "I'll be taking my leave now. Goodbye." He then turned and left without another word. He passed the unconscious guards in the castle's entrance as he made his way out of the hole he had created in the drawbridge.

The city outside Canterlot castle no longer was chaotic or terrified, rather, the citizens had already started to help rebuild what Icarus had destroyed. He noticed the sentinels he had frozen earlier had been thawed out and were warming up together with blankets and hot soup.

This whole sight was the epitome of friendship: Ponies helping each other out during tough times. Icarus couldn't help but respect them.

He stopped right on the outskirts of the town to get one final look, then teleported away.

Icarus reappeared in the opening of the Everfree Forest that he had used after his arrival to Ponyville. It had acquired such a home-like feel to him even though he had discovered it less than a week ago. He laid down in the familiar crater and looked into the sky. The sun was sinking in the West bringing forth the evening dusk.

"Hello there."

A voice interrupted Icarus' relaxing state. He sat up and looked around curiously, but didn't see anypony around who could have spoken. He looked back into the heavens above, noticing a shadowy figure confiding in the tree tops. It jumped onto the ground before Icarus, making him stagger back a couple steps.

Eve smiled warmly as Icarus gathered his wits.

"I've already encountered one imposter today. How do I know you're not another?" accused Icarus.

"It was me who gave you that note, me who inspired you to flee from Eden and long for revenge on Celestia, and me who dealt with the guards that had cornered you on the roof during your night of escape." Eve never stopped looking at Icarus with such a tender expression.

"Why me?" Icarus started. "Why would you join me to do such terrible things? The pains that burdened me were mine and mine alone, so why did you go along with what I wanted?! Didn't you realize that hundreds or even thousands would be affected?"

Eve sighed. "I have always cared for you, Icarus. Ever since the day I met you, I wanted you to be happy because of your going through abandonment. You see, Icarus, I was the daughter of the family that took you in. I loved you like a brother and did all I could to make your life peaceful, but, no matter how hard I tried, you were constantly struggling with abandonment issues. You would hardly ever speak, let alone smile. I asked you about it on a couple occasions, but you brushed me off and told me I was being too nosey. A couple months later I caught you trying to sneak out after everypony had gone to sleep. You told me about your plan to make others understand how you felt, and that I didn't need to get involved. I, however, was fearful for what could happen to you after you left, so I came along. It took a bit of convincing, but I wasn't about to let you leave by yourself. I assume you know the rest from there."

"I do."

"So you know it was me who eliminated the doctors, don't you?"

Icarus nodded again. "I speculated so, but after what you've just told me, it seems unlikely that you would do something like that."

"I didn't do it for me, rather, I did it for you. I _was_ angry for what I almost had to go through, but that didn't drive me to do it. The thought that they would even _dare_ lay a hoof on you is what enraged me, but I managed to contain myself until the night of your escape."

"I see." Icarus walked over and looked into the stream at his reflection. "Do you know what I plan to do now?"

Eve sighed. "I'm afraid I do, but if you think that taking your own life will solve all the problems you've caused you've caused then I believe you are mistaken. Killing yourself will make everything I've gone through be in vain."

"You think I want to kill myself? I said something similar to that to Celestia shortly ago to make her not worry about me anymore, but I wasn't going to follow through with it. Well, no matter, what I have in mind might as well be though, however it was only because of your help that I can do it. I will finally be happy."

"You always were an unpredictable one. Tell me then, what is your plan?"

Icarus chuckled. "You can watch me if you wish, but please do not interfere. Before I start I need to ask of you two things. The first is that you never speak to me ever again after I leave here. My reasons for that will be made clear soon enough. I have nothing against you, but it is simply how it needs to be.

The second thing I ask of you is to return home and make amends with your family. Do not let them know everything that has happened, but tell them I am in a better place and thankful for everything they've done. Please do these things in remembrance of me."

Nighttime had settled itself more subtly than Icarus was used to. He hadn't noticed that he was squinting to see Eve's dark figure in the evening gloom. As the moon shone into her face, Icarus saw its clear light reflect off the tears that gathered in Eve's eyes. She quickly wiped them away and spoke.

"Is it alright if I keep an eye on you every now and then? I want to make sure you are safe."

"I will be perfectly fine," reassured Icarus, "but you can if you wish, as long as I don't know you are watching me."

Eve gave Icarus a hug, then took a couple steps back, looking at the ground the whole while.

"Don't worry, I won't be far."

Eve nodded. "Goodbye Icarus. Please know that I will never forget you."

Icarus smiled. "Of course."

Eve withdrew into the shadows behind her. Only the whites of her eyes were visible until she closed them, vanishing as quickly as she had appeared.

Icarus took a breath and looked into the stream. He couldn't see his reflection in the water, so he conjured up a simple light above him. He examined himself in the running creek to evaluate what changes were necessary. Firstly he decided that his horn was unnecessary and needed to go.

Numbing the nerves in his forehead, Icarus cast a spell to nullify pain and then created an incredibly sharp blade made from his magic. He took a deep breath and braced himself, then swiped his horn off with one clean slice of the blade. Warm blood trickled down his face, but Icarus sealed the wound closed soon thereafter. He noticed a circular scar on his forehead where the horn had been when he looked back into his reflection, so he fixed the skin surrounding it, making it seem like he never had had a horn to begin with. Icarus kicked it into the stream.

He then examined his frail wings, the useless things. He couldn't think of a single time they had been helpful during his journey, but he didn't want to lose them. In fact, Icarus wanted to make them useful. He flexed his wings, flapping them to try to get off the ground, but they were too feeble to even lift him a couple inches. Casting a new spell, he strengthened the muscles in his wings, as well as make them more aerodynamic. This would not only allow him to fly at great speeds, but would also grant him longer flight times before getting tired.

Looking back into the stream again, Icarus realized that his body color was too distinct. His charcoal grey hair and black mane would be too easily identified, so that was the next thing he needed to adjust. He decided on a color choice which he was pleased with, then stepped into the water. As the refreshing fluid surrounded him, Icarus weaved his magic around his coat, then with his mane and tail to change their colors accordingly.

Icarus stepped back onto the bank of the creek and gazed into his reflection when he finished. His coat was a deep blue, his mane and tail turquoise. Since ponies had deep meanings for different colors, Icarus thought that bearing the colors of peace and clarity of mind would help him.

His reformation was almost complete. Icarus still had to perform one more physical modification to himself, but that could wait a couple minutes more. There was something he needed to create that his whole plan depended on.

Icarus used his magic to materialize a cube of sugar in his upright hoof. He then began to place a series of enchantments on the cube. Icarus made great care to only apply the neccessary spells needed. He set the sugar cube on the ground when he was finished, making great care not to accidently step on it. The cube had been infused with amnesia inducing spells. Anypony who consumed it would lose their memory about who they were, where they lived, and almost everything else they had ever known.

Icarus then pulled out a small note. It was the one Eve had given him in the hospital. He read it one last time, proceeding to wipe the page blank when he was done.

A quill levitated a couple inches above the empty note, held in place by Icarus, who began to write a new letter. He continued to make adjustments to what it said until he was confident it would be convincing. He folded the note and placed it under the sugar cube, then buried the pen in the crater.

There was only one last thing to do before he could leave his old life forever. Icarus took a moment to prepare himself for his last magic spell he would ever perform. It was the most difficult spell known in Equestria: An age spell. He released his magic, feeling himself shrink as the forest trees grew around him.

He scuffled over to the water and saw that he was now a young colt, but he still had the mind and all the memories of before. Icarus picked up the note and cube, making his way towards Ponyville through the Everfree Forest. He was finished.

This whole journey had gone by in such a short time, but it had felt like a lifetime in and of itself. Soon everything would be over and Icarus would be happy. He would get the beginning that he had never experienced. This fresh start would finally put him at peace.

As he emerged from the forest, Icarus noticed that most of the residents in Ponyville had turned out their lights and were sleeping. One of these sleeping building was the Golden Oaks Library, the home of Twilight Sparkle. Icarus thought that she would be best for his plan because she was the most knowledgeable pony in the town. Icarus hoped that she would rub off on him in that regard.

He reached her front door, gazing at how large it now seemed. Here was where his legacy had begun, and it would be here where it would end. The moonlight shone on the door's plaque; Twilight's name glowed peacefully in the ghostly light.

Icarus laid on the ground in front of the door, clutching his hind legs with his front ones as he did so. He slipped the note into his mane, but left a portion exposed to make it easily seen. Hesitating for a moment, he finally extended his front hoof put and knocked on the door.

Nothing happened. He waited for almost a minute in silence, debating whether he should knock on the door again or not. However, Icarus' thoughts were cut off when a dim light flickered on inside the house and the sound of hoofsteps approached the door.

Icarus slipped the enchanted sugar cube into his mouth, then closed his eyes to appear sleeping. There he waited patiently until the door creaked open.

Twilight was rubbing her eyes and let out a big yawn as she stood in the doorway. The night breeze made her shiver a bit before she finally looked at her seemingly empty front porch.

"Um, hello...?" she started, but before she could say anymore, something blue on the ground caught her eye. She looked down, then gasped.

It was a young colt. His blue coat was easily distinguished in the faint light that emanated from the library. He appeared to be sleeping. Twilight saw a slip of paper wedged in his mane, so she quietly reached down and pulled it free without waking the colt.

Icarus began to feel light-headed. The cube's effects were starting to take hold. In a couple minutes he would pass out. Once he woke up, he wouldn't remember any of this. As he felt his consciousness begin to falter, he heard Twilight begin reading the note.

"Twilight, the colt before you is named Nova. He and I are as close as brothers. I love him with all of my heart, but, because of certain nameless events, I am unavailable to care for him. I want only the best for him, so I'm leaving Nova in your hooves for now. I would be forever in your debt if you provide him with a home and a loving family that will always do what is best for him. Nova will probably not remember me when he wakes, but please tell him this: It doesn't matter why we couldn't provide for him, but what does matter is that he has a loving family that will never forget him. He will be in our minds and hearts forever. I will not be far from him, so tell Nova that he will never be alone. I love you, Nova. Please stay safe. _~ I"_

Icarus let a tear roll down his cheek as Twilight finished. There was nothing left to be done. He wasn't scared about what was going to happen; No, he embraced it. As unconsciousness gripped at his mind, he welcomed it.

"I'm prepared for my rebirth," he thought to himself as his mind slipped into a dream-like state.

"You poor thing," sympathized Twilight as she lifted Icarus and laid him gently on her back. "I will take care of you until you have grown up. You won't have to worry," she whispered. Twilight reentered her home, closing the front door behind her as she did.

* * *

The peaceful evening was almost soothing as Eve watched the final lights fade from the Golden Oaks Library. The cool breeze against her skin made her shiver, but it wasn't as cold as the tears streaming down her face. She knew that Icarus would never remember her, or anything anymore. No more memories, experiences, thoughts about her, they were all gone. Yet, Eve knew this was necessary. He had reset his life with the beginning he never had. No, actually he hadn't set _himself_ on the right path, but it was Nova who received the proper start he deserved. Icarus didn't exist anymore. He had funneled everything that he was into a fresh start, and his legacy was Nova. Eve finally understood that this was the only option that would give Icarus what he wanted.

"Well done Icarus. Well done."

_~The End~_

* * *

**Outro Song: **_Out of my head_- John Newman

* * *

**A/N: I** really feel like I've been writing for awhile, when in reality it has only been about 2-3 months since I started. This 12 (technically 14) chapter story has consumed a large portion of my daily life just to make sure I got a chapter out every week. While I am relieved to finally be done, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed the ride. The feedback I received has been encouraging, so I tried to make my story better and better knowing that I have a genuine audience. And now here we are at the conclusion of _In Remembrance of Me_. I want to thank you thank you all for reading. It really does mean a lot to me.

So was that it? Well, not exactly. I am thinking about writing a mini-chapter/epilogue that also includes my entire collection of different ideas and thoughts while I was developing the story. This "chapter" will follow a small portion of Nova's daily life, along with what happens to Rainbow Dash, Discord, Amber, etc. Let me know in a PM or review if you would like to see that, otherwise I will put it to rest.

Well, that's all I really have to say about this story! I hope you enjoyed it (I do read every review posted and am grateful for your kind words/criticisms respectively). If you enjoyed it, you might like one of my future pieces of work that I plan on writing. It won't be out for a couple months while I develop the plot and write the first couple of chapters, but hey, at least you now know that I'm not ending here. What's my next story? I won't give you that much, but I'll tell you the genre: comedy. It might seem odd that I would write a comical story after something so serious, but you would be surprised with what I can do with the plot I have in mind.

Until next time, _~Kalameet_


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